Breathing Underwater
by LylaMackenzie
Summary: Johnny is used to being jumped, beaten, and tortured on a regular basis. But one day it goes too far, and when the gang doesn't hear from Johnny they go to his house to find him broken and unconscious. Will Johnny make it through the wrath of Hell or will he finally succumb to the years of anguish he's suffered?
1. Chapter 1

He heard the footsteps before he realized the man was standing before him, and the stench of alcohol permeated the air and hung heavily in the small room. The boy lay still, not daring to move, preparing himself for whatever may happen next. His heart sped up and his breathing quickened, but he kept his eyes closed, and though God wasn't a part of his life, he said a small prayer anyway, just in case. But it didn't seem to matter; the man moved closer to the single mattress that lies on the hard and dusty floor, its rips and tears reflecting the reality that was this hell. The boy was small already, but seemed to curl in on himself as the sound of a belt being taken off cut through the otherwise silent household.

He should have been used to it by now, should have known how to make himself numb to what was about to come, but every time he was surprised by the amount of pain, even with the horror still ingrained in his mind from the last time. He was through pleading for it to stop, to be over, learning that it only made things worse. Sometimes instincts kicked in and he fought back, but the alcohol the man consumed seemed to give him extra strength, made him try harder to inflict his own agenda on the small, frightened boy.

"You should know better Johnny." The man said. He raised the belt above his head so that it arced high in the air and came down with a sickening crack against the slight body of the boy. Johnny sucked in a breath, hissing between his teeth. He knew he had done nothing wrong, but it didn't matter, he was always going to be at fault. The man knocked over a lamp and it was Johnny who should have been paying attention, the shades woke him up too early after a particularly bad bender and Johnny would find his backside torn apart by the nearest sharp object. He flinched as the belt struck him again. There was no telling what the cause was this time and he wasn't about to ask.

Again and again, the belt sliced and bit his skin with a searing burn that sent waves of pain across his entire body. Most of the blows hit his back, but a few glanced off of his cheek or arm. He lay on his side in the hope of eliminating at least some of the strikes, that at least one part of his body might be spared. He tried so hard to not show any emotion; that could set off a whole new set of licks, but a few tears managed to escape anyway and he turned his face into the mattress. Luckily the man didn't notice; he was too busy wailing away on the boy's frail frame.

Johnny could hear him breathing, almost straining to get a breath, and he pictured the sweat that broke out of the man's face and travelled down his neck, dampening his shirt. He saw the man's teeth becoming gritted, almost smiling, a sick smile that took pleasure in shattering the boy's body, his spirit. Whatever plagued that man, whatever caused him to feel angry, was taken out on Johnny. It always had been, and Johnny was pretty sure it always would be.

He fell asleep in the lot many nights, an escape from the horrors, and he wished he were there now. For some reason he had come back here, come back to the mattress that smelled of piss and old blood, to the scent of stale booze that encompassed every corner of the house. He felt new wounds open and old ones blister and ooze blood that ran in rivulets down his back and legs. His dark hair was matted to his forehead, his shirt sticky with new blood. Everything in him told him to cover his face, but he was afraid if he moved to cover himself more thoroughly the man would notice and it would lead him to direct the blows towards his head. Most likely he'd had more than one concussion, but wasn't itching to have another.

The man finally discarded the belt and resorted to using his hard boots to kick the places he'd just opened up. Johnny felt himself getting dizzy from the searing pain he struggled against, the hurt he couldn't escape, and with one final blow to the back of his head, the small amount of light that filtered into the room began to fade, and his father stood over him blurring into the darkness that eventually overtook him.


	2. Chapter 2

The blur of voices came in foggy bursts, trying to reach the abyss of his brain.

"Shit."

"Don't move him."

"I'm gonna kill that sonofabitch."

"Is he breathing?"

"Someone get Pony outta here."

Johnny didn't open his eyes, couldn't even if he wanted to, and once again darkness overwhelmed him. Every now and then he heard scuffling noises, shouts and whispers, it could have been seconds or minutes, but it could have been hours in between.

When he was finally able to open his eyes, he felt the pain like a white hot fire bursting from inside of him. He groaned and was hit with an intense urge to vomit. Rolling onto his side, he threw up bile and blood, the force of it sending even more agonizing shockwaves throughout his whole being, almost causing him to lose consciousness once again. Coughing, he lay back down and tried to control his breathing. It was then that he noticed the voices he'd heard were from the group of guys that surrounded him. A hulking man in a black t-shirt was kneeling next to him, eyes travelling over his body, concern etched on his face. "Darry." Johnny croaked.

"Don't try and talk Johnny." Darry spoke softly, and though he had his hand reached out in front of him, he didn't touch Johnny. Approaching him like a wounded animal, Darry gently sat on the mattress, using his outstretched hand for balance. "Soda, get me a glass of water please." He said, not taking his eyes off of Johnny. "And the first aid kit from my truck." Johnny was on his side, careful not to put any weight on his back. The pain was intense, but he tried to hide it. "It's okay Johnny. No one's gonna hurt you." Soda came back with the water and handed it to Darry. "Can you sit?"

Johnny shakily tried to move himself to a seated position, but only succeeded in raising up on his uninjured arm some. "I'm sorry." He tried.

"No, Johnny, don't be sorry. Here." He held the glass of water to Johnny's lips and Johnny took several grateful swallows. He was shaking so badly from trying to keep it all together, some of the water dripped down his chin and onto his already stained shirt. He looked away, embarrassed, though at this point he couldn't see what there was left to be embarrassed about. The room was quiet, which was unusual for the group of greasers at his bedside. But as Johnny had begun to awaken, Darry had threatened to skin anyone who spoke unless necessary. They had no idea how bad any of this was yet and Darry wanted to assess the situation first. Ponyboy had walked into the room and become hysterical, Two-Bit catching him by the waist as he nearly lunged for his buddy. He became frantic in his effort to get to Johnny and fought Two-Bit the whole way out the door.

Ponyboy and Johnny had been nearly inseparable since they met five years ago. Ponyboy was nine, Johnny eleven. There was a park not far from their houses and Pony used to go there all the time after school or during the summer. One of those times, Pony fell off the monkey bars, messing his knee up pretty badly. He sat huddled under the bars, tears rolling down his cheeks, holding his knee with both hands. Johnny strolled up to him, and instead of making fun of him like several other kids at the playground that day, put an arm around Pony. "Hey. You're gonna be okay, kid." He told Ponyboy, smiling. "Let me walk you home." And he walked Ponyboy to his house, had dinner with his family, and they've been like brothers ever since.

However, the moment Ponyboy saw his best friend sprawled out on the dirty mattress, covered in blood and who knows what else, he had started screaming, painful and piercing. He kept yelling Johnny's name over and over again, but the boy never moved. Darry figured at some point Two-Bit must have calmed him down; there was no more screaming coming from the front porch, no struggle.

As Sodapop returned with the first aid kit, Darry began speaking softly, yet sternly to Johnny. It was important that Johnny lie still and Darry get a good look at him. "Johnny, I'm going to need to take a look at your back now. I'm going to try my best not to hurt you, but this isn't going to be pleasant little buddy." He could sense the fear in Johnny and kept his movements slow and careful, explaining the whole process as he went. "I'm going to have to remove your shirt." He reached for Johnny as gently as possible and the moment he touched the fabric, Johnny sucked in a sharp breath. Darry tried again and Johnny cried out in pain. The blood-soaked shirt stuck to his tender skin. Darry stopped immediately and reached for the glass of water. He slowly poured a bit onto the boy's back, hoping the moisture would loosen the fabric enough that he could get it off and take a look at what the poor boy had endured. As he let the water soak into the t-shirt, he removed gauze, medicated ointment, aspirin, and petroleum jelly from the emergency kit. Placing the items on the floor, he once again tried to extract the shirt from Johnny's frame. It came up more easily this time, the cool water having soothed his back some, allowing Darry to pull the

sopping t-shirt over the boy's head, revealing the damage.

There was a collective gasp as they all took in what was before them. Though they'd all been though rumbles and fights, been jumped with broken bottles and blades, nothing could have prepared them for the state of Johnny's back. Besides the varying stages of bruising, the sensitive skin on his back was shredded. Large welts traveled from his shoulder blades to his lower back, disappearing below the band of his jeans. Some were old, others newly healed, and many (too many) were fresh, the flesh gaping in places, most of his back speckled with dried blood.

Dally swore under his breath, Steve clenched his fists, and Soda nearly left the room, hot tears stinging his eyes. Darry closed his eyes for a moment, thinking, thank God Pony isn't in this room. After rinsing some of the dried blood from Johnny's back in order to see better what was going on, Darry spoke once again to the boy, "Alright Johnnycake, I need to use some of the ointment to get it all cleaned out, okay? This is gonna hurt, little buddy." Johnny whimpered, struggling to control the sobs that tried to force their way out of his body. "Don't try and be strong right now Johnny. It's okay now, no one's gonna punish you for feeling."

At Darry's words, and with every stinging swipe of his back, Johnny let go, tears finally coursing down his cheeks, leaving tracks through the dirt and blood that had settled there. Once everything was cleaned out, Darryl began putting the petroleum jelly across Johnny's back to keep the gauze from sticking. As uncomfortable as it was, Johnny laid quietly, the tears having run out for the moment.

In order to put the gauze around Johnny, Darry asked Soda to help hold him up. As carefully as possible, Soda pulled Johnny to a seated position, placing his hands under Johnny's armpits, one of the few places still safe to touch. Darry quickly and gently wrapped the gauze around Johnny's torso, securing it in place. Though it wasn't perfect, it would be good enough to get Johnny to the Curtis household. They could figure out where to go from there.

Darry gave Johnny four aspirin to help ease the pain and looked him in the eyes. "No one is ever going to hurt you again. I promise you that." Johnny nodded, suddenly exhausted. Darry looked at the room around him. There wasn't much more than the mattress and an old dresser containing whatever clothing Johnny owned. He told Steve and Dallas to grab whatever clothing they could and asked Soda to help him carry Johnny to the truck. "On three." Darry told Sodapop. The two of them lifted Johnny carefully, as not to jostle him too much, Darry with his arms under Johnny's armpits, Soda holding onto his legs. Together they slowly made their way out of the house, Johnny biting his lip, fresh tears collecting in his eyes.

Two-Bit and Pony sat on the front porch, Two-Bit's arm around Pony's shoulders, both to comfort him as well as keep him from running back inside the house. When they heard the guys step onto the porch, Pony jumped up, gaping at his best friend. "Johnny?"

"He'll be okay, honey." Sodapop told him. "We need to get him back to our house though." Pony and Two-Bit moved out of the way as Soda and Darry made their way to the truck. Opening the back door, Soda slid in, careful not to bump Johnny and Darry and he laid Johnny across the back seat, Johnny's head resting in Sodapop's lap. Shutting the door again, Darry turned to the rest of the gang. "Pony, you ride up front with me. The rest of you meet us back at our house." With no argument from anyone, Darry and Pony climbed into the front seat of the truck and started towards their house. Pony stayed turned around in his seat, not able to take his eyes off his best friend. Johnny groaned with every movement of the vehicle. "m'sorry." He said again. "I must have been out for hours."

Darry glanced in the backseat at the slight, broken body, trembling from shock and pain. "Try days, Johnnycake."


	3. Chapter 3

Johnny was in Pony and Soda's bed, curled up on his side, finally able to rest some after the long day of reapplication of ointment and bandages. Darry would have to restock. He always kept some on hand for the sake of rumbles and the like, but with the large amount of injuries to Johnny's back, along with a few knicks on his arm and face, supplies were dwindling.

Once they had gotten Johnny back to the Curtis household, they immediately assessed the situation, Darry rechecking the bandages, looking for anything he'd missed in his hurry to get the boy out of his own home. Johnny's parents were cruel by nature and alcohol only exacerbated their anger. Johnny had seen worse at times, especially the time he was jumped by a group of Socs, but his own father had stood over him and beaten him unconscious. Darry didn't ever want to let Johnny go back to that house. This was the one and only time Darry was glad Johnny's parents wouldn't come looking for him. They could clearly care less what happened to the boy, and Darry often wondered what made Johnny reenter that house nearly every day, knowing what may be awaiting him. He knew it was because, even though they were obscenely cruel, they were still Johnny's parents, and that made all the difference. Johnny was only sixteen years old and he still craved being wanted, craved attention, acknowledgement. And sadly, it came in the form of hate. Johnny had told Ponyboy once that he sometimes liked that his father hit him, because at least he knew he was there.

As Darry made preparations for dinner that night, the gang sat in the living room, anger bubbling like a pot ready to boil over. Darry was angry too, but he knew that wasn't going to help Johnny. Not much would. They couldn't take him to the hospital; his parents would be called, and that may mean an investigation, and Johnny, being only sixteen, would be sent to a boys home. None of them would allow that to happen. For now, unless it became dire, Johnny would stay there, and someone would always be with him.

Johnny typically handled pain very well, and Darry was fairly certain it was the incident itself rather than the pain that bothered him. Although he was used to his father's wrath, and often downplayed it, no one missed the hurt behind the tough exterior. They sometimes thought about calling the cops, but, again, that could only lead to trouble. Johnny would die if he lost the gang; it would be way more painful than anything his parent's did to him. Johnny's mother wasn't much better than his father. She hardly noticed Johnny unless he was in the way, and even then it was only to shout at him or raise a hand to him. Darry often wondered if he'd ever heard a kind word from either of his parents.

With dinner in the oven (chicken and potatoes), he headed for the living room to join the other guys. "Should be ready in about an hour." He mentioned, sitting in the chair cattycorner to the couch. He could tell everyone was stressed and exhausted from the day and worried about what was going to happen to Johnny. Dallas sat on the floor, back against the couch, flipping his switchblade open and closed. Two-Bit, Soda, and Steve occupied the couch, each of them immersed in their own thoughts. But where was Ponyboy? "Hey, any of you seen Pony?"

"He said something about checking on Johnny." Soda offered. "He's still pretty messed up from what happened."

Darry nodded, standing once again, and heading for Soda and Pony's bedroom. Ponyboy wasn't what you would call sensitive necessarily, just rather intense. He felt everything so much more deeply than the rest of them, things stuck with him longer than most. Sodapop was the sweet and sensitive one, small things concerned him, made him emotional, whereas Pony was just one to take the reality of a situation and hold on to it, let it get to him. Soda could be bawling about something one minute, and the next laughing, the sorrow all at once forgotten, Pony would get more anxious, more tense, and Darry was very much a realist. He didn't really have a choice in the matter; life had happened very quickly, sending him into a flurry of adult decisions. He didn't have time to be soft, too many things could happen if he let himself feel that way.

Opening the door, Johnny was still in the same position as earlier, Ponyboy sitting in a chair by the bedside, his body tipped forward, head resting close to Johnny's on the bed, hand gripping Johnny's arm. Darry couldn't imagine Pony to be comfortable, but didn't want to wake him. Johnny would need to get up soon to change the bandages and he could wake Pony then as well. For the meantime, he let them sleep. Pain came in all forms and the two boys in that room certainly felt it more than the rest of them. As he looked at the two of them, brothers in every sense of the word, a thought hit Darry. Maybe he could make it official.


	4. Chapter 4

Darry walked into the living room, falling into the armchair once again. "He's with Johnny. I think they need each other right now."

"What are we gonna do about Johnny?" Soda asked. "We can't just take him back to his parents. They'll kill him." Soda was serious about that. He figured the next time Johnny's dad got ahold of him, he wouldn't make it.

"I'm thinking about that one, Sodapop. I don't want to send him back to the shithole any more than you do. But we can't exactly call the cops either. The best we can do for now is to get him healed and see what we can do for him more permanently."

"Permanently?" Two-Bit echoed. "Like let him live here?"

"Kind of." Darry explained. Though he hadn't thought it all through, and he was not sure exactly what it would entail, Johnny not being family, he told the gang his idea.

Soda's face lit up immediately. "Adopt him? Darry that would be great!"

Dallas looked skeptical. "How are you gonna manage to do that? He don't exactly have the most understanding folks in the world. You think they're just gonna hand him over?"

"I don't expect anything from them. I figure it could go either way. They'll fight to keep him because he's their kid and its all about doing anything they can just to make his life a living hell or they'll be happy to be rid of him." Darry leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. "Either way I don't feel comfortable just leaving Johnny to be torn apart by the people who he's supposed to be able to trust the most."

"Shit, Darry." Steve blew out a breath. "You wanna take on one more kid? I mean I know Johnny has it rough and all, but that's a lot. Plus what's to stop Johnnycake's parents from coming over here and doing the same amount of damage?"

"It's Johnny, Steve. You got any better ideas? You gonna be the one to walk that poor kid through those doors and hand him back to those people?" Darry felt the anger well up inside him. Sometimes he wondered why Soda considered Steve his best friend. But in truth, he knew the answer. Steve would do anything for Soda, and vice versa. The only thing that got in the way sometimes was Soda's relationship with Ponyboy. Steve had always had a jealousy in him where Pony was concerned. Sure Pony liked to trail after Soda on occasion, but he spent the majority of his time with Johnny. Maybe Steve was jealous of Johnny too.

"I just don't see as to how you're gonna pull this one off. Getting custody of Soda and pony is one thing, but Johnny is a whole other deal." Steve countered.

"I agree with you Steve, but I'm going to try and figure something out. If we can't protect Johnny from the monsters who are supposed to be his parents then who will?" Darry stated.

Two-Bit shifted his weight on the couch. "Well I think it's a great idea, Darry. Kid can't go through this much longer."

"I'll make a few calls tomorrow, after we get Johnny to feeling a bit better. I can talk to our social worker too since she knows our history. But—" Darry paused trying to organize his thoughts. He was still concerned about Johnny's parents. What if they didn't approve Darry to take Johnny but wouldn't have him stay with his parents? He rubbed a hand across his face, trying to clear his mind. "Johnny is sixteen. How will he prove it was his parents who caused this? I'll bet by now they are pretty good liars." Darry found his head beginning to throb with the stress of everything, the responsibility he felt to Johnny, the rest of the gang. For a while no one said anything.

"Darry?" A voice came through the silence, quiet, yet urgent. They all looked to see a disheveled Ponyboy standing at the entrance to the living room, his expression anxious.

"Pony what's wrong?" Darry took in his brother's face, how he seemed nervous, scared even.

Pony felt his breathing speed up, trying to control his emotions. He hadn't been very good at that lately. "Something's wrong with Johnny."


	5. Chapter 5

Johnny was still asleep when Ponyboy woke up, stretching out his neck from the awkward sleeping position he'd been in for the last couple of hours. Despite the nap, he found himself mentally exhausted. Johnny still lay on his stomach, his arm thrown across the mattress as if reaching out to him. Ponyboy had come in earlier, after Darry had changed Johnny's bandages, and sat watching him sleep. He did that again now, taking in the steady rise and fall of Johnny's back, the bandages not completely covering all of the scars and bruises. Darry had taken off Johnny's jeans and replaced them with sweatpants, and Johnny, having endured the agony of the last day, didn't resist. As embarrassing as it may have been normally, it almost felt good to have someone take care of him for a change; after all, Johnny had been taking care of himself since he was old enough to reach the stove.

Johnny took in a shuttering breath, and shifted slightly. Pony noticed the sweat that had appeared on Johnny's face, matting his hair to his forehead. Reaching a hand out and brushing Johnny's bangs back, Ponyboy felt the heat there. Johnny wasn't covered in blankets; Darry didn't want to put any kind of weight on Johnny's back, and aside from the sweatpants, he had no other clothing on. Pony gently moved his hand to Johnny's back, avoiding the placed that were covered in gauze and taped in place. His whole body was on fire and Ponyboy nearly yanked his hand away, fear once again returning to him. He hadn't ever felt fear like he did when he saw Johnny's battered body lying on the old and dirty mattress. It all came racing back to him; the blood, the stench of alcohol mixed with stale cigarettes, Johnny, looking as pale as he could look. Ponyboy had, at first sight, thought Johnny was dead. He had lunged at him, his panic overtaking any kind of rational thought, his heart being ripped from his chest for all to see. Two-Bit had grabbed him, yet Pony hadn't known who it was at the time, just fought the pair of hands that had appeared around his waist.

The gang had first begun to worry on the third day Johnny hadn't come by and none of them had seen him out and about. It wasn't unusual for Johnny to stay inside after a beating, the act simply having taken so much out of him. And two days wasn't horribly long, but no one liked that they hadn't seen the dark haired boy appear amongst them. By day three they couldn't take it anymore. Ponyboy was becoming more and more anxious, Dally and Steve and Two-Bit wanted to bust some heads, their anger coming out in other ways, and Soda had become quieter than usual. It was Darry, though, who had finally spoken up. "Something isn't right. We need to go to his house and check." No one argued with that and they had headed over to Johnny's mid morning. Johnny's parents were nowhere in sight, and were known to disappear for days on end, to who knew where, leaving Johnny on his own, even at a very young age. They had probably beaten Johnny that awful day, three days ago, and left immediately. That way they could always say they were 'out of town' if anyone questioned them, which no one ever did. Thankfully, it played out in their favor. Darry led the way, stepped up to the front porch and, without knocking, threw the door open. Luckily, they didn't lock their door; although there may have been some satisfaction in breaking the door down. No one objected as Darry took charge, as he usually did, earning him his nickname, Superman. Most people assumed Darry's nickname came from his muscular physique and though that was true, it had a lot to do with him jumping into action when life called for it.

As Ponyboy continued to watch Johnny, a sense of calm came over him. Johnny was in the Curtis household, his parents were far from him, and he seemed to be responding well to whatever Darry did for him. Darry was used to patching people up after rumbles, fights, and the like, but Johnny's wounds were more than he was used to. Still, he steeled himself against any negative emotions, fighting the urge to beat the abuser's heads against the wall, even to call the police. He knew what Johnny needed was care he certainly wasn't going to get at home, and with a hospital likely being bad news, he had to do it himself. The others offered to help, but mostly left Darry to it; Darry was more gentle than most of the gang and knew how to wrap a wound so that it wouldn't get anything in it and get infected. Ponyboy smiled at the thought. Darry was the best he could have asked for, and they were lucky to have him in their lives, especially after losing their parents.

Pony sat back in the chair he'd pulled up next to the bed, suddenly feeling hungry. As he pondered whether or not to wake Johnny to eat (he'd been sleeping on and off since they brought him home and he probably needed it), he noticed that Johnny had begun to shake. Maybe a cold sweat, Ponyboy thought as he reached for the blanket. He figured if Johnny were cold he wouldn't sleep well, and though the blanket would be over the wounds on his back, it was a light one, so Pony decided Darry wouldn't mind too much.

As he began to drape the blanket carefully over Johnny's frail body, he noticed the shaking had worsened. "Johnny?" Pony asked cautiously. "Are you okay? Are you cold?"

Johnny didn't say anything and his eyes were mere slits, partly opened as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. But Johnny had already been asleep. So what was going on? Ponyboy stood with the blanket in his hand in mid air, rooted to the spot. Johnny's body had suddenly tightened and became stiff, drool pooling on the pillow on which he lay, his whole being shook the bed as it convulsed back and forth, causing Ponyboy to stand there agape.

All at once, he knew something was wrong, and though he wasn't sure what, he went in search of Darry. He'd never seen anything like that before and it terrified him. As fear coursed through his veins, he met Darry's eyes, his voice but a whisper in an effort to get the words out at all. "Something's wrong with Johnny."


	6. Chapter 6

Darry jumped up from the chair and raced to the bedroom where he found Johnny still convulsing on the bed, a bubbly drool pulsating from his mouth. Darry immediately rushed to Johnny's side, making sure he was on his side. "Shit!" He shouted. "Shit! Shit!"

"What's going on Darry?" Ponyboy stood in the doorway as if afraid whatever was happening to Johnny was catching.

"He's having a seizure Pony. It's okay, just stay there."

As he gently held Johnny on his side, himself rocking along with the motion, and making sure he didn't fall off the bed, he noticed the others had joined Ponyboy in the doorway, shock and fear written on all their faces, a copy of the earlier scene at Johnny's house. Darry kept his grip light, not wanting to hurt Johnny and not wanting to cause him any more injury than was necessary.

"Should I call the hospital?" Soda asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"No, not just yet. Seizures don't necessarily need doctor care." As he was saying this, he noticed Johnny's trembling slowing and eventually coming to a stop. "Pony, how long was he doing this?"

"I dunno, maybe a minute I guess." Pony answered, almost afraid to be wrong.

"Okay, then he should be okay." He brushed a hand through Johnny's sweaty hair, and Johnny opened his eyes fully, trying to sit, only to wince in pain, as if forgetting the day's events. He laid himself back down, trying to get his bearings. "Johnny? Do you know what just happened?"

Johnny blinked a few times and shook his head. "No, but I'm tired. Is everything okay, Darry?"

"You had a seizure Johnny. I'm going to have to check you out, okay?" Darry told him. Johnny nodded, this becoming the norm. He was in pain, and exhausted from what just occurred, but hearing what Darry had just said frightened him. He'd never had a seizure before and from the look on everyone's faces it was pretty bad. He looked at Ponyboy and his heart sank. Pony had tears in his eyes, a few having spilled over already, and Soda was leaning against the doorframe, sniffling. They were acting as if someone had just died. Steve and Two-Bit looked terrified, though they were trying to hide it, and Dallas looked pissed. Johnny knew that meant he cared about him, that he was worried, but Dallas didn't show his emotions often, and anger replaced many of them.

He allowed Darry to help him to sit up, the pain from his injuries dulled, but ripped open in places from all the thrashing. He hissed in a breath and Darry held Johnny still and looked him in the eyes. "I don't see any issues with your pupils and you are talking okay. Do you feel sick or dizzy at all?"

"No, just tired, and kind of foggy. Like everything is very strange right now. I don't really know what happened though. Was it bad?" Johnny felt like everything was very surreal, like he was in a dream. The pain told him otherwise.

"Scared Pony something awful." Darry commented. "Scared us all Johnny." Darry checked Johnny over and he seemed to be okay other than the earlier wounds and seeming a bit out of it. When he was finished, he told Johnny to let him know if he felt off in any way or if anything changed. Johnny nodded. "I'm going to go ahead and check out your back, maybe wash everything again and leave the bandages off for awhile." Darry assured everyone that Johnny would be okay and that if it happened again they'd go to the hospital, but for the meantime there was nothing to be too concerned about. The gang retreated to the living room, feeling better about the situation, though Pony stayed behind and sat next to Johnny while Darry looked over his back.

"Darry," Ponyboy asked nervously. "How'd you know all that stuff about seizures?"

Darry continued to unwrap, then gently clean Johnny's back with the basin of water set on the bedside table. It didn't feel as painful as it had even earlier in the day. Having been nearly four days since the initial beating made a big difference, and the wounds weren't quite as raw, but the seizure had definitely done some damage; Johnny tried to deal with the pain without too much complaining. "A guy from work had one awhile back, just dropped to the ground in the middle of a shift. I was right there and called my supervisor and 911. I watched what they did and asked questions. I told them I had two little brothers at home and wanted to be prepared. They gave me a lot of information."

"I'm glad you knew what was going on." Ponyboy told him. "I had no idea." He looked at Johnny. "You definitely had me scared Johnnycake."

"Golly, I'm sorry Pony." Johnny felt awful for causing everyone such distress. "Darry, I'm sorry about all this. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

Darry, having finished up what he was doing, looked into Johnny's eyes. "You listen to me Johnny Cade. Don't you think for a minute that this is in any way a burden to me. Or to any of us. We are brothers." He thought of his earlier decision, but decided to keep it to himself. He didn't want to get Johnny's hopes up, or Pony's for that matter, if it wasn't going to work out. He'd have to talk to the gang and make sure they didn't say anything either. Now dinner will be ready soon and I want both of you to eat something. And don't give me any lip about it."

Pony and Johnny smiled. Darry was still Darry, and through everything he was their Superman, their strength when everyone else was falling apart. But at some point that may be too much; after all, even Superman had kryptonite. But for the moment, things just might be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

Ponyboy insisted on sleeping with Johnny, not wanting him to be alone if another seizure occurred, and Darry agreed. The next day he and Soda would have to go back to work, Pony back to school. Two-Bit offered to stay with Johnny while the others were gone; no one was going to leave him alone. The rest of the gang went home for the evening after dinner and a few games of cards. Ponyboy joined Johnny at about ten. Johnny lay on his left side, still not wanting to put any pressure on his back, the wounds still achy from the seizure. Pony lay next to Johnny, staring up at the ceiling, hands behind his head. "How are you feeling Johnny?" Pony asked. He was scared Johnny was going to have another seizure, that he was going to have to witness his best friend thrashing around uncontrollably, every part of him stiff and unmoving. He shook off the memory as Johnny spoke.

"I'm okay, Pony." Johnny replied. "Darry's got me on some aspirin and whatever he's putting on my back seems to be helping. The seizure didn't do me any good, but it'll be okay. I'm used to it by now."

Ponyboy felt his heart ache, his chest tighten. "You shouldn't be used to it."

"It's been like this for so long Pony." Johnny told him. "Things just are the way they are."

They were quiet for a moment, neither knowing what to say next. The sound of crickets echoed in the silence, leaving the boys to their thoughts. After a moment, Ponyboy spoke, "Johnny, what are you going to do when your parents come home?"

Johnny shrugged. "I dunno Pony. I guess go home."

"After what they did to you? Johnny, you can't." Ponyboy shifted so that he was facing Johnny. "Please."

"Pony, I don't really have a choice. I can't spend every night in the lot."

"So stay here." Pony pleaded. "Stay with us."

"Pony—"

"No, Johnny. You can't go back there. You just can't—" Tears fell from Pony's eyes, making their way down his cheeks. He'd already lost his parents and wasn't prepared to lose Johnny too.

Johnny reached out and took Ponyboy's hand. "Hey." Ponyboy sniffled and looked Johnny in the eyes. "It'll be okay. I can't stay here and put you in danger too. They'll find me eventually and once they do it won't end well. I don't want that for you, Pony. Look at all you have here. You have it good and I ain't about to mess that up."

"But Johnny you won't. Darry will be here and Dallas and Soda and Steve and Two-Bit. And me. We'll all protect you." Ponyboy couldn't stand the thought of Johnny going home after what just happened and surely Darry wouldn't let that happen. "Please." He was begging at this point, but he was scared and the tears came faster, dripping off his chin and onto the pillow.

"Aw, Pony." Johnny let go of Pony's hand and pulled him close. Even in the state he was in, Johnny was looking out for Ponyboy. Pony melted into Johnny's chest and sobbed until his tears ran dry. All the while, Johnny ran a hand through Pony's hair, telling him that everything was going to be okay. But in truth, Johnny was afraid. He'd hated his parents for a long time, but he'd never actually been downright afraid. He was terrified he would die in that house, but the lie sounded good on his lips and for the time being he could pretend it was the truth. When Pony finally pulled away, Johnny looked into his eyes. "There are many things in this world that can hurt you, but my parents will not be one of them." He promised. "Let's try and get some rest, now. You've got school in the morning."

Pony smiled. "You sound like Darry."

"Good." Johnny told him. Ponyboy rolled onto his back once again, his eyes already getting heavy. "Night Pony."

"Night Johnny." The two boys fell asleep quickly, the night surrounding them like a blanket.

Luckily Johnny made it through the night without another seizure and Pony was already at school when he woke, though not for lack of trying. Ponyboy was terrified to leave Johnny, sure something bad was going to happen while he was gone, but Darry had insisted, and since Two-Bit was there to keep him company, Pony reluctantly let Soda drive him on his way to work.

"Hey, Johnnycake." Two-Bit poked his head in just as Johnny got himself into a seated position. Johnny smiled. "How ya feeling?"

Johnny shrugged, a motion that didn't feel all that great against his healing skin. It pulled a bit in places from the movements, though he was dying to stretch his body out. "Doin' okay Two-Bit. You sleep here?"

Two-Bit shook his head. "Nah, got here as the threesome was heading out. They did make some breakfast before leaving though. You've got to be hungry, not having eaten much."

"Yeah, I could eat." Johnny told him, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Need help or anything?"

"I'm okay. It's getting better a little I think. It itches in places, hurts in others."

Two-Bit tried to keep his face from showing too much concern; if Johnny wasn't complaining then he shouldn't be too worried. Still, he stayed by Johnny's side as the two of them walked into the kitchen to eat the food Darry had prepared that morning. Johnny sat down in one of the chairs, making sure his back didn't scrape against the back. Darry had left his back exposed, and the air that got to his wounds felt both wonderful and painful at the same time. His back was itchy and hot and he could tell the lashes had started healing in places. Others were still sore and it hurt to move in certain ways, but other than the time Darry had cleaned everything out initially, it seemed to be slowly improving from that point on. He was careful not to reopen anything, and with Darry helping to keep it clean, he should be good as new in a few days. This was nothing out of the ordinary for Johnny, though this round was worse than most so he was fairly sure he could guess the healing time, and push through the rest. Hell, there were plenty of times his father whipped him good and no one was the wiser. Still, he made sure to be careful regardless.

Two-Bit placed plates of food on the table, one for Johnny and one for himself and took a seat to the left of the injured boy. Johnny looked so small, his body seeming to have shrunk in on itself, making him look almost like a young child. Two-Bit knew he'd protect Johnny with his life, and that the rest of the gang would as well. Johnny noticed Two-Bit starting at him and smiled slightly. "Two-Bit, I'm okay, really."

"You always are Johnny." Two-Bit told him. "Eat your breakfast."

Johnny did as he was told. After they were finished, Two-Bit gave Johnny more aspirin and checked on his back, making sure nothing had changed. Darry would look at it once he got home and determine if Johnny needed to keep using the ointment. Until then he told Two-Bit to just let it get air to it and keep an eye on Johnny to make sure he didn't have another seizure. That part made Two-bit nervous. Wounds he could handle, but what he had witnessed yesterday he hoped he never had to again.

The two of them didn't do much to pass the time other than watching television, and after awhile Johnny said he was tired and went to lay down. Two-Bit figured he may as well nap too and retreated to Darry's room to get some rest.

Johnny fell asleep quickly, still worn out from the previous day's events. The sun was still high in the sky, the warmth making its way through the window and lulling him to sleep. His breathing was even and deep, his body losing the tense feeling it had held for the past few days. Dreams had just started to enter his mind, when all at once his eyes flew open, a hand clamped to his mouth, "Bad idea, Johnny, bad idea."


	8. Chapter 8

Johnny felt his heart speed up, the fear deep and unending. The hardened man looked at his son with a devilish sneer, as if he were nothing more than something to wipe off his shoe. His father leaned in as Johnny watched with horror-filled eyes, the stench of alcohol once again commanding his attention. "Thought you could outsmart me boy?" He breathed. "You are sadly mistaken. You don't think I know where your little friends live? I'm much more clever than you give me credit for. You don't value your life? I have given you everything you ungrateful little shit." Spittle flew from the man's mouth as he spoke, though his voice wasn't more than a viscous whisper. "You get on your feet and into my truck without so much as a peep. Do you understand me you little fuck?" Johnny nodded silently, nearly shaking at this point. He hoped he could stand and make it out to the truck without a problem; so far he'd had help with everything.

His father slowly took his hand away from Johnny's mouth, and Johnny didn't dare speak. He didn't want to think of the pain his father was going to inflict on him after coming all the way to the Curtis' home to drag him back to his own house again. He knew it was going to be bad. He also knew everyone but Two-Bit was at school or work and he didn't want to take the chance of yelling and Two-Bit not hearing him, therefore making it way worse for himself.

As he felt himself being led to the front door of the Curtis household, he found himself looking at his surroundings, wondering if he'd ever see them again. He noticed the chocolate cake that lie on the kitchen table, its crumbs spilling into various cervices (that Darry was sure to skin someone over), the couches sunken in from teenage boys dropping down onto them or trying out various wrestling positions, and the random articles of clothing left for anyone to trip over, something Johnny was consciously worried about at the moment. Though it was midday, no one in the outside world seemed concerned for his safety, and even if they had any idea what was happening in the house, it wasn't likely anyone would say anything; that's just how things were around that area.

Johnny was thankful for at least one thing: the fact that Darry had taken such care with his back made walking bearable, despite the circumstances that were now happening. Johnny was becoming more and more afraid, unsure what he was in for at this point. No matter how many times he was beaten, no matter how much wrath his father showered him with, it wasn't something he ever forgot, and the fear certainly never went away.

Johnny wore nothing more than the sweats Darry had dressed him in the day before, and prepared himself for the chill of the day, despite the sun sitting high in the sky. His father pushed him along, hitting his back now and again as Johnny tried not to stumble. It seemed to take forever to reach the front door, and right before they made it there, Johnny stumbled over a shoe left on the floor (probably Two-Bit or Ponyboy) and in turn lost his balance, falling into the card table set up in the living room. It crashed to the floor, a loud clatter echoing through the otherwise silent house. Johnny froze, his father both kicking at him to get up and damning him for creating more problems.

All of a sudden a panicked Two-Bit bolted into the room, his hair standing on end, eyes blurred with sleep. "Johnny!" He shouted, concern etched on his face. "J—" He stopped cold, Johnny's name faltering on his lips, fear overtaking worry. Johnny was confused for a moment, and then he noticed why Two-Bit had stopped. He followed the older boy's gaze, pure terror enveloping him. Cradled in his father's hand was a shiny black gun, and it was pointed straight at Two-Bit.


	9. Chapter 9

Two-Bit felt his heart freeze and a stream of sweat broke out on his face and neck, sending rivulets down his back. His eyes darted between Johnny and the gun, though fear prevented any other movement. The man that loomed before him wasn't the largest man he'd seen but with the gun in hand he could have been three feet tall and Two-Bit would have been terrified. The man nearly growled at him, a cigarette crushed between his nicotine-stained teeth, the acrid stench of whiskey clinging to every pore in his body, as if scenting the area, claiming it as his own. Johnny was afraid; Two-Bit knew him well enough to know that, but he hid it well. And when Two-Bit glanced his way he saw Johnny give the slightest shake of his head. 'Don't.' Two-Bit wasn't sure what to do; the gun could very well not be loaded and he could wrestle Johnny's father to the ground and surely best the guy senseless. On the other hand, it could be a full barrel, and both Two-Bit and Johnny would be shot dead in seconds flat.

After a moment's thought, he decided he couldn't risk it and nodded as much to Johnny, who seemed to relax the slightest bit, his eyes having begged Two-Bit to stay where he was. "You make one move, boy, and I'll tear you apart." The man's voice sneered. "You have no idea what you've done. And now poor little Johnny is going to have to pay for it." Two-Bit felt his pulse speed up, his heart hammering in his chest. He wanted to badly to help Johnny, but to do it now would only harm them both. So he stood there like a coward, and watched Johnny calmly make his way out the door, his father following behind, the gun still pointed in Two-Bit's direction.

He closed his eyes, feeling all the emotion hit him like a truck and nearly fell to his knees the moment he heard the vehicle pull away and drive off down the street. He kept it together long enough to dial Darry's number at work, but promptly burst into tears when Darry came on the line. Darry coaxed Two-Bit to calm down enough to get the gist of what had just happened. "I'm on my way." After Darry hung up, Two-Bit let the phone drop to the floor, collapsing onto the couch, giving in to his emotions once more, tears coursing down his cheeks, great heaving sobs wracking his body. He was supposed to be watching Johnny, taking care of him, and he'd let him down. He'd let everyone down.

When Darry burst through the door twenty minutes later, Two-Bit was sitting hunched over in the same spot he had been since he'd dropped the phone, the tears having finally been reduced to sniffles. "Two-Bit." Darry put a hand on his friend's shoulder, causing Two-Bit to put his head in his hands, trying to stem the tears that once again gathered there. Darry joined him on the couch, putting an arm around the shorter man's shoulders. "Hey." He began. "You did the right thing. There is no doubt that prick would have killed both you and Johnny if you had tried to do anything." Two-Bit just shook his head. He knew better. Darry was right about most things, but not now; now he was wrong. "Darry, I was in charge of taking care of Johnny. Me. I should have heard something. Done something."

"Awww Two-Bit. Please don't blame yourself." Darry tried to get Two-Bit to understand that doing anything more would have been way worse than doing nothing. On the way home from the job site, Darry had been through every emotion in the book; anger, fear, concern, etc. Once home, seeing his pal on the couch, struggling with the choice he made, he let the anger and the fear subside, the sympathy coming forward. "What we need to focus on now is what we can do for Johnny. I'll call Soda and Steve at the DX and Pony should be home before too long. Dallas may be harder to track down. Sit here and just try and calm down for a bit and we will sit down and talk about all of this when everyone is here."

"I can't Darry. I just can't."

"Two-Bit, I'm pissed too. And scared and worried about what Johnny is going through. But we need to keep a clear head in order to help Johnny." Darry picked the phone off of the floor and placed it back on the cradle. After letting it sit a moment, he picked it up and held it to his ear, hearing the dial tone once again. He plugged in the number of the DX and filled Soda in on what happened. Both Soda and Steve walked in the door a half hour later.

"Sorry it took so long, we had to get covered at the station." Soda flopped down on the couch. He looked at Two-Bit. "Are you alright Two?"

Two-Bit shrugged, obviously not okay, yet upset with himself for not being so.

Darry had called around while Soda and Steve were on their way and located Dally, who was already sitting on the couch next to a still-shaken Two-Bit. He was seething, and Darry was somewhat surprised he hadn't marched straight to the Cade's home and did some damage control, but Darry had done his best to convince him otherwise, the gun being the tipping point, and Dally's fear he would use it on Johnny. Ponyboy walked in the door just as Steve found a place to sit, the air in the room thick with emotion. "What's going on guys?" He asked as he dropped his backpack on the floor by the front door, clearly confused as to why the gang was just sitting around the living room in the middle of the day. Darry opened his mouth to answer, but it hit Ponyboy all at once and he threw himself in the direction of his bedroom, where Johnny was staying. "Johnny!"

Darry caught him around the waist. "Pony." Darry said calmly as Pony tried, and failed, to get to Johnny, thinking the worst. "Pony, look at me." Pony obeyed, the tears already collecting in his eyes. "Johnny's okay." Ponyboy immediately stopped straining against Darry's grip, confusion replacing fear. "But his dad came and got him."

"What? Why?" Ponyboy asked. "Why didn't anybody stop him?"

"Pony, we weren't here." Darry knew very well that Pony knew Two-Bit was staying with Johnny that day, but he hoped Pony had forgotten. Unfortunately that was not the case. Ponyboy turned on Two-Bit, his voice rising to a yell. "Two-Bit was here. What's the matter with you Two-Bit? Why didn't you stop him? It's all your fault!"

"Now, Pony-" Darry started.

"No!" Darry still had his hands on Pony's waist, which was a good thing since the angry greaser lunged at the older boy, spit flying from his mouth. "You should have done something Two-Bit! You should have done something!"

"Pony, there was nothing he could do." Darry offered, trying to help Two-Bit, who sat looking at the floor. Two-Bit was not normally one to sulk or be sad or upset and to see him being anything other than his goofy self should have been a sign to Ponyboy. Darry didn't mention the gun, and no one else said anything about it either. Pony was sure to freak out if he knew Johnny's father had come over here packing and took Johnny away. Two-Bit didn't say anything either, didn't defend himself, because he knew it wouldn't help, and because he loved Pony more than he cared about his own feelings. "And right now, we need to figure out where to go next. Johnny could be in trouble and he needs us to stick together, not be fighting."

Ponyboy reluctantly nodded. "I'm sorry." He said to no one in particular. Darry led Ponyboy to a seat on the couch, mostly to keep him from jumping on Two-Bit, and he took a seat in the chair. "Alright." Darry addressed the room now, rubbing his hands on his jeans, trying to get some of the tension out. "Let's make a plan."


	10. Chapter 10

Darry wasn't entirely sure how to go about this. He still wasn't interested in getting the cops involved, but he was starting to get worried, unsure as to what degree Johnny's father was willing to take all of this. He figured it could go one of two ways: the gun was a threat, loaded or not, or he was going to hurt, maybe even possibly kill Johnny. Either way, they knew Johnny was in for some kind of abuse, and Darry knew he wasn't completely healed from his previous beating. That could mean anything from infection to blood loss to the damage from all the stress this was putting on Johnny's small frame. Darry knew Johnny's father didn't care, and his mother seemed indifferent to anything that happened to her son, sometimes taking her own anger out on the boy.

After much debate, they decided on what they were going to do. They didn't know how or if it was going to work, but they wanted to try one more thing before getting the police involved. None of them wanted to get Johnny sent away to a boy's home, and this was their last hope. Pony was worried Johnny's father would get angry and call the police himself, having the boys arrested for trespassing, or worse, kidnapping. Darry assured Ponyboy that that man wasn't going to invite the cops into his home.

They piled into the car, Darry driving with Pony and Soda in the front next to him, and Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit knee to knee in the back. Darry was glad he had an extended cab truck or they'd all be in the bed. The drive to Johnny's house was tense and no one spoke; the air felt electric, buzzing with both nervousness and anticipation.

Before too long, Darry pulled to the side of the road and cut the engine. They were about a block from Johnny's, Darry's idea, and each of the boys filed out of the vehicle. None of them carried a weapon, which Dallas had protested many times, before Darry finally reminded him he couldn't afford another stint in jail, and that Soda and Pony would surely get taken if they were caught with a blade.

Pony started walking the short block to Johnny's, glancing back at the gang as he made his way down the road. The rest of the guys hung back and watched, keeping out of sight for the moment. Ponyboy was nervous, but he knew the rest of them had his back. Darry was once again happy with his choice to not tell Pony about the gun; he definitely wouldn't go through with the plan if he knew about that. Darry nodded at Pony, letting him know they wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to him, and Soda gave him a small smile. They all tried to be encouraging on the drive, telling Pony how much he would be helping Johnny. Ponyboy wanted to do anything he could for his friend, no matter now afraid he was, and, walking the short distance to Johnny's, he tried to focus only of getting Johnny out of his current situation.

Approaching the front porch, Ponyboy took a deep breath and raised a hand to knock. The boys stayed hidden around the side of the house, waiting in case they needed to come and rescue their youngest member. Ponyboy knocked and waited. He looked to his right, where the boys were watching, peering around the side of the house, and shrugged. Getting acknowledgement from his oldest brother once again, he knocked a second time, a bit harder.

After a moment, he heard movement within the house. His heart began to race and he swallowed nervously. He'd seen the damage done to Johnny and it wasn't very encouraging. When the door opened, he nearly jumped back in surprise, but held his ground. Still, he could feel the sweat trickle between his shoulder blades, felt his voice crack slightly as he spoke. "Um, hi. Can I talk to Johnny, please?" He remembered his manners, one of the things his mother had emphasized as important, especially when speaking to an adult.

"What?" Johnny's father spit. He was clearly inebriated. Ponyboy tried again. "Johnny. Can I see Johnny?"

"NO!" The man shouted, his greasy hair plastered to his forehead, spittle flying from his mouth. He went to slam the door in Ponyboy's face, but Pony stuck out a foot, the door bouncing back towards the inside of the house. "I really need to see Johnny, sir!" He insisted.

Johnny's father squinted at the boy standing in his front door. "What are you playin' at boy?" He roared. A smirk appeared on his face then, the scruff that appeared on his chin seeming to back away in defiance. "I know you. You're one of them Curtis boys!"

Ponyboy felt a deeper fear course through his body. He took a gulp of air. Surely the man wouldn't do anything in broad daylight. The man leaned in closer to Ponyboy, his breath hot on Pony's face, and reached out an arm and grabbed hold of Pony's wrist. "It would do you a whole lot of good to get yourself off of my porch." He hissed through gritted teeth.

"And it would do you a whole lot of good to get your hands off of my brother." A voice came from behind Ponyboy, making him jump. The man in front of him straightened himself to his full height, and Ponyboy glanced over his shoulder to see Darry, arms crossed over his chest, standing directly behind him, the rest of the gang only a step behind Darry. Johnny's father stared into Darry's eyes, like a snake on the prowl. "If I remember correctly, this is my property, and that makes it none of your business."

"You touch my little brother it becomes my business." Darry kept his tone sharp, but steady, an undercurrent of a threat coming through.

"Is that a threat?"

"You can bet on it." Darry moved forward, moving Ponyboy behind him with one arm. Soda came up and wrapped a protective arm around his brother's shoulders. He could feel the fear radiating from his little brother, his heart thumping in his chest. Darry wasn't necessarily one to impose on someone else's property, but once his family was threatened he felt all bets were off. Darry kept moving forward, forcing the older man back into his house. "I know what you've done to Johnny. It would be in your best interest to just let us take him out of this house."

"You can't prove anything." The man snarled, the whiskey on his breath nearly making Darry gag. The house smelled of stale beer and cigarettes.

"I think I can." Darry pushed back. He kept moving farther into the house, the rest of the gang coming up behind him, blocking any chance for an exit. "Two-Bit, Soda, go find Johnny. Take Ponyboy with you."

The boys moved silently around him and into the rest of the house. They figured Johnny would either be in his room or hidden somewhere no so obvious. Even though his father had no idea that the gang would come into the house, he most likely wanted to keep Johnny out of sight. The fact that they hadn't heard Johnny at all worried every member of the gang, though of course that could just be out of fear, which is what they hoped. They didn't want to find Johnny in the same condition as before, but they feared the worst.

"Now, you listen to me, SIR." Darry crept closer to the man, a finger pointed at his chest, nearly jabbing him with it. "You will never touch my brother again. Do you hear me? And as for Johnny? He'd better never feel your eyes on him again, let alone your hands or so help me—" Darry stopped speaking. They had reached the kitchen, where Mr. Cade had placed his hand on the counter. When he brought it in front of his body again, Darry found himself face to face with a gun, most likely the same one he threatened Two-Bit with.

"If I were you, son, I'd collect the rest of your gang and get out of my house!" He enunciated each word, emphasizing his point as his voice rose and rose with each syllable. Darry backed off, retreating until he was in the living room again, his hands in the air, showing that he had no weapon of his own. As tough as Darry was, he knew he was no match for a heater.

"No." A quiet voice came from the inner bowels of the house, becoming louder as it got closer. "NO!" Johnny screamed and threw himself at his father's back.

It happened all at once. The gun went off, a bullet zipping across the room and embedding itself in Darry's left shoulder, sending Darry to the floor, leaning against a wall within the living room, right hand gripping his left shoulder, a grimace settled on his face. Dallas and Steve rushed to his side, making sure it didn't hit anything important. Mr. Cade fell to the floor in a heap, blood seeping from his chest, creating a pool on the wood floor. Johnny stood above him, breathing heavily, looking down at his father. Mr. Cade's breathing was getting more ragged by the second, a gurgling sound coming from deep in his throat, and he lay there, unmoving. Johnny's eyes were wide, disbelief on his face. "I had to." He finally said, his voice a whisper. It was then his father took his last breath. The house was silent.


	11. Chapter 11

The sirens screamed down the street, stopping in front of the Cade home. The blue and red of the lights highlighted the walls in the house, flickering off of the faces of the boys inside. Johnny stood over his father's body, his breath coming in short gasps, his face a mask of fear. He couldn't move, almost as if his feet were glued to the spot. He moved his eyes to look at the knife protruding from his father's back, buried deep into the left side, next to his shoulder blade. No doubt it had pierced his heart, the blood from his body having poured from the wound, a sickly deep crimson soaking into the floor. Johnny felt his stomach lurch at the sight and tore his eyes away, settling on Darry, who was now huddled on the floor, holding his arm. Soda and Pony had moved to Darry's side, allowing Steve and Dallas to hang back, both surprised by Johnny's actions.

Two-Bit reached for Johnny, but Johnny flinched as soon as he felt Two-Bit's hand touch his arm, nearly toppling forward. He steadied himself, and Two-Bit backed off, sensing the terror coming from his friend. Johnny did what he felt he had to do to protect his friends as well as himself. But the reality of it was now sinking in, and he felt his body beginning to go into shock.

The police then barged through the door, guns at the ready. There were three of them, only one shot had been fired, and surely they didn't feel the need to send in a whole team. "Hands where I can see them!" The one farthest into the house yelled. Immediately, the boys threw their hands in the air, the men eyeing each one of them in turn. Darry did his best, his shoulder oozing blood down his arm and onto his shirt. One of the officers noticed he was wounded and walked to him, inspecting the severity and calling for an ambulance into his walkie talkie. Another of the officers noticed the gun on the ground and moved toward it. "Alright." He told them. "Go ahead and lower your hands." The boys did as they were told. "What happened here?"

"He was hurting Johnny!" Pony blurted. "He was going to kill him! And he shot my brother!"

"Pony." Darry managed. "Calm down, honey. Let's explain from the beginning."

Pony nodded and sat down next to his brother, who was being attended to by the officer, pressure being applied to the gunshot wound. Darry winced through the pain and spoke again. "Mr. Cade was abusing his son. He's the one who shot me when I tried to stop him. Check the gun if you want." He knew there would be fingerprints on the gun from Johnny's father, and Johnny's back was proof enough of the abuse. Darry didn't say anything else, didn't mention who put the knife in Mr. Cade's back, nor did he give any explanation as to why the rest of the gang was there. The pain and blood loss were making him dizzy and he leaned his head against the wall.

"We'll discuss this further after you've been fixed up and the scene assessed. But I'm afraid all of you will have to come with me." The officer who seemed to be the head of them explained. "The ambulance will see you get to the hospital and checked out." He told Darry. "The rest of you will have to come with us." He gestured to the two police cars waiting outside.

"Please can I go with my brother?" Pony nearly begged. "Please don't make him go alone."

"He's only thirteen." Darry spoke up. "We're all a bit shaken up from this. Would it be okay for him to ride with me to the hospital?"

"I'm afraid not." The officer told Darry. "Unfortunately we have no idea what happened here and we can't just let him go. We'll look after him."

Ponyboy felt hot tears fill his eyes, the overwhelming terror of the situation beginning to hit him and he reached for Soda. "Don't worry Pony. I'll be okay. Everything will be alight. Just go with the officers. Soda will be with you." He turned his attention to Johnny, who had a sickly pallor to his skin. "Johnny. Can you walk over here?"

The officers sensed Johnny's need to see Darry and didn't stand in his way or stop him from moving slowly across the room on shaky legs. "You need to tell them what happened, Johnnycake. I won't let anything happen to you okay?" Darry rasped, his body feeling the effects of the blood loss. Johnny nodded with a worried look on his face, scared for his friend, himself, and whatever was coming.

They all looked towards the front door as the siren of the ambulance approached, coming to a stop next to the patrol cars. Two paramedics walked through the door, without so much as a glance at the scene before them, focusing only on Darry, who they insisted lie on the stretcher on the way to the hospital. After they loaded Darry into the ambulance and it made its way to the hospital, the officers ushered the other boys into the patrol cars; Soda, Pony and Johnny in one, Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit in the other. Soda recognized the driver of their car as one of the officers that had told them about their parents. Maybe this was the reason they weren't being too rough on them. They hadn't had weapons in their possession, other than the gun on the floor (Mr. Cade's) and the knife in the man's back (also Mr. Cade's). Soda sat in the middle of the two younger boys, an arm protectively around them both. He was worried about how all of this went down and what it was going to mean for them. Would Johnny go to jail? Would he and Pony get taken away from Darry? Would Darry be okay? Too many questions circled around in his head as they drove in silence towards the station. At least they didn't run the sirens and draw more attention to themselves, he thought. As he held the group's youngest members, he wanted nothing more than to make sure they were safe. If he had to, he'd take the blame for what Johnny did. But he knew the others were thinking the same thing. No one was willing to allow Johnny to go down for this, especially not when he was only trying to protect them. They should have fought for him a long time ago. Now they were going to.


	12. Chapter 12

The sirens blared around him, encasing him in their sound. A saline drip was hanging on a metal pole attached to the bed, the medic keeping pressure on the wound in Darry's shoulder as they sped towards the hospital. Darry was in a decent amount of pain, but his mind was on other things, namely Johnny and his brothers. With the boys being underage, they wouldn't question them without Darry present. As for Johnny, Darry didn't know if they'd find his mother and bring her in or not, and Darry was worried Johnny's mother would tell them to lock him up and throw away the key.

The ambulance came to a stop, the sirens no longer blaring, and Darry breathed through the new wave of pain that came with the jostling of the gurney as the paramedics opened the back of the vehicle and lowered him to the ground. As they met with the physician, who decided surgery would be needed to remove the bullet and patch the wound, Darry couldn't help but wonder what his brothers and the rest of the gang were doing at the police station, if they were scared or hurt, and who was comforting them when he couldn't.

As they pulled into the police station, Johnny was visibly shaking. Soda pulled Johnny closer, wrapping his arm more tightly around the frightened boy. Ponyboy was leaning against Soda's other shoulder, fear etched on his face, one hand gripping Soda's in a vice. The officer opened the door and the three of them carefully stepped from the cop car, noticing Dallas, Two-Bit, and Steve already being led into the building. With Soda holding the two youngest members of the gang, they too, walked into the building, the officer motioning for them to sit on the benches located along one of the walls. Not knowing what was going to happen made them nervous. Johnny and Ponyboy were visibly terrified, Soda was trying to keep it together for his brother and Johnny, and Two-Bit and Steve were sitting on one of the benches, some part of their body constantly in motion, unable to sit still, a leg jiggling, a hand tapping. Dallas, however, stood leaning against the wall, seemingly indifferent to their situation. Soda knew he must be concerned for Johnny at the very least, but his reputation wouldn't allow him to show it. Soda also wondered about Darry and what he must be going through, both worried about the rest of them, and in a lot of pain from getting shot by Johnny's father. Soda thought about all the blood in that house, Johnny's home for the past sixteen years, and felt his stomach roll.

An officer approached them, this one female, and knelt in front of the boys, so she was closer to eye level. "Boys," She began, and Soda noticed her nice skirt and pressed blouse; hopefully them being Greasers wouldn't be used against them, especially since no Socs were involved. "I want to talk to you about what's going to happen here." They all looked at her, except Dally, who'd probably heard this speech a few times before. "Since you are all under age, minus a couple of you, we will not question you without a parent or guardian present. However, I know in some circumstances those people are not available, or are not willing to come in.(surely a reference to the Greaser lifestyle, thought Sodapop). And since you were all present at the scene of a crime, you will all have to give a statement." She spoke gently, trying her best to reassure them things were not going to be awful. "I will at this point only ask your names so that I can get ahold of your parents." She went down the line and asked for names and phone numbers. Steve and Two Bit were fairly easy and quick with their responses. "Hello, Mr. Winston." She remarked when she got to Dally. He nodded his hello back, a smirk plastered on his face. "I'm Sodapop Curtis." Soda told her, prepared for the angry stare or remark, since most people thought he was kidding or being ignorant. "I promise it's my real name. My parents were just very creative." She smiled. Soda didn't necessarily think he was gorgeous, but his looks often inspired girls to take his side. "This is my brother Ponyboy." He brushed a hand across Pony's hair, sensing his younger brother's nervousness. "Our other brother, Darry, is at the hospital right now. He's our guardian. He was the one that was shot." Beside him, Pony let out a whimper and Soda gripped his hand once more. Beside him, Johnny was still shaking, his breathing taking on a somewhat strangled quality, and though Soda knew he was trying to be tuff, he noticed tears had filled the young Greaser's eyes. "This is Johnny Cade." Soda continued, when he decided Johnny wouldn't be able to speak. "His father is the one who was—you know." He looked cautiously at Johnny as he spoke and squeezed Johnny's shoulder. She looked at Johnny and patted his arm gently.

After she left, Johnny leaned into Sodapop and broke down, the tears coming quickly, as if realizing what was going on for the first time. Sodapop leaned his head against Johnny's, one arm wrapped around Johnny, his hand stroking his hair. Ponyboy put his head in his hands and began to cry quietly. He hated not knowing what was happening to Darry, what was going to happen to them. Soda tried to comfort them both, his heart breaking with each sob that came from the small, frightened boys.

All of a sudden, a shadow appeared before them, and as Soda looked up, he saw Dally standing in front of them, and completely out of character, Dally reached forward and gathered Johnny in his arms, Johnny clinging to Dally for dear life. Not having time to be astonished, Soda turned his attention to Ponyboy, wrapping him in his arms and shushing him as he cried quietly. Today was a loss of some sort, though unlike that of the Curtis parents, and every inch of it was bathed in pain.


	13. Chapter 13

Darry sat in his hospital bed, propped up on two pillows, pain medication travelling from a long tube and into his bloodstream, which he was thankful for at the moment. However, he was getting antsy, ready to meet the rest of the guys at the station, protect whatever he could, and figure out what was going to happen to everyone. He leaned his head back against the pillows and sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. When he reopened them, a tall man in a suit and tie was standing before him, causing him to startle.

"Sorry, son." He spoke. "I didn't mean to frighten you. My name is Detective Aaron James and I am here to talk to you about the incident that occurred at 129 Locust Street earlier today. I believe you were present, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir, that's true." Darry told him.

"Mind if I sit?" Detective James nodded towards the chair in the corner and Darry told him he could. The man pulled the chair closer to Darry's bedside so the two of them could speak. "I understand you were shot, how are you feeling?"

"I'll be okay, I guess." Darry told him, glancing at his shoulder. "Where are my brothers? And my friends? Are they alright?"

"They are at the station at the moment. I can drive you over there as soon as you've been cleared by the doctor." Darry nodded and the detective continued. "Can I ask you what happened this morning?"

"Well, you see, we didn't hear from our friend, Johnny, for a couple days, which was unusual. We all see each other almost daily, and Johnny goes to school with Ponyboy, my youngest brother. But when we didn't see or hear from him we went to his house to find him, um-" Darry cleared his throat, the memory a hard vision to think about. "unconscious- on a mattress in a bedroom. He had pretty bad lacerations on his back and the backs of his arms. My brother, Soda, and I patched him up as best as we could and took him back to our house to rest and hopefully get better. He was pretty shaken up."

"So he was at your house? Did his father come there?" The detective was taking notes on a legal pad, as well as having a tape recorder so he would miss nothing. "How did you end up back at the Cade home?"

"Well, my brother Soda and I had to go back to work and Pony, he had school. The rest of the guys had jobs and school as well, but Two-Bit, er, Keith, stayed back with Johnny to make sure nothing happened to him while we were gone, you know, that he didn't have any problems with his injuries." Detective James nodded. "But at some point, the two of them fell asleep and it was at that point Johnny's dad came in and took Johnny home."

" He has that right as a parent to take his minor child home." The detective informed him, though Darry already knew this. "After that you went to see Johnny was at his home?"

Darry felt it hard to keep his anger under control at this point; from that moment on, when he found out where Johnny was, he felt sick. "I was called at work by Keith." Darry remembered to use Two-Bit's given name this time, even though it felt strange on his tongue. "He said Mr. Cade came to the house and he heard a noise and when he got to the living room, Mr. Cade had a gun pointed at him, at Keith. Then they left, and he called me."

"What made you return to the Cade home?"

"We were worried about Johnny." Darry shifted a bit as his shoulder gave him a twinge of pain. " Mr. Cade was the reason we went there in the first place."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not sure if anyone has taken a look at Johnny's back, but it's pretty bad. It wasn't the first time Mr. Cade had beaten his son, but it was one of the worst. We wanted to help Johnny."

"What happened when you got to the Cade home? They were there?"

"Yeah. Mr. Cade wasn't very happy to see us, but Johnny's safety was more important than that. So we went inside and he ended up threatening us and grabbing his gun, but Johnny got to him first."

"What did Johnny do?"

"He stabbed his father from behind. In self defense. He's been beaten his whole life. And he was trying to save us from being shot."

"You're telling me that Johnny was not in any harm, but he killed his father anyway?"

"NO!" Darry nearly screamed, "No, he was in very much danger. Who knew if I'd still be alive if it weren't for him. The old man stunk like alcohol, he was drunk. He would have killed me and anyone else who got in his way of beating the shit out of his kid. And we were the only reason Johnny made it out of that house. He was defending us all. Who knows what would have happened to him if we hadn't shown up."

"How do you know that Johnny's father was the one to hurt him?"

"Other than the fact that he told us? We all saw it, more than once." Darry sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to be difficult I just need to make sure Johnny, and my brothers are alright. And I need to get to the police station. They need me there."

"I'll get the doctor for you." Detective James told him, standing and walking to the door of the hospital room. "If your story checks out, then I'm awfully sorry about what happened to your friend."

Darry nodded and thanked him. He couldn't be too angry at the detective, after all, the man didn't know him from Adam. But he wanted him to believe him, wanted someone to see that he was telling the truth, and that Johnny would be safe with him and Pony and Soda.

The doctor walked in then, interrupting his thoughts. "Darrel." The doctor moved to his side to check on his wound. Darry winced slightly, but the pain wasn't horrible. "Everything looks good." He said, putting a new bandage on Darry's shoulder. "You should be okay to go. No lifting anything over ten pounds for the next few weeks and I can write you a prescription for pain medication if you'd like."

"Thanks doctor. I'll be okay pain wise. I'll take a couple aspirin if I have to." Darry told him and the doctor handed him discharge papers.

"You know," The doctor told him as he made his way to the door. "The way the bullet hit, you're lucky. Much lower and we might not be having this conversation. I hope they get whoever did this to you. You seem like a good kid."

Darry smiled slightly. "Don't worry about that doctor. He won't be hurting ANYONE anymore."


	14. Chapter 14

Darry met the detective in the hallway. The older man was sitting on a bench, his head bent over the report he had taken. He looked up as Darry approached. "All set?" Darry nodded and the man stood, stowing his notepad in the satchel sitting at his feet. Darry saw that the man was younger than he originally had thought, his hair brushed back from his face, revealing bright green eyes. He may only have been in his forties, younger than his father was when he passed. As the detective stood, he gave Darry a slight smile, and the two of them walked out of the hospital and into the bright sun of the parking lot. Darry was led to a plain white car, and the detective motioned for him to get into the passenger seat. Darry slid in, mindful of his arm, and noticed the lack of police equipment. "We go plain clothes most of the time." Detective James told him. "We like to go unnoticed when we can. Most people run from police when they see a car with all the works."

Darry nodded, buckling his seatbelt. "You seem awfully young to be a detective." He told the man as he started the engine and backed out of the parking space. The detective laughed, a hearty chuckle. "I mean no offense of course."

"Of course." Detective James told him. "Don't worry about it. You're not the first person to think that. I'm 43. It can be considered young by some, but I'm good at my job and I spent years proving myself before getting to where I am. I enjoy what I do, but the job had its drawbacks as well."

"What would that be?" Darry questioned. Surely, a decent salary wasn't something to sniff at.

Detective James smirked. "Well, your situation, for example. I see a lot of abuse cases, unfortunately. I see too many kids getting hurt by family members or friends of the family. It's almost always a close friend or close family member doing the damage. Kids tend to get to the point of retaliation and I try and figure out what to do in that situation."

"Do you think Johnny is innocent?" Darry asked.

"I think I need to talk to your friend. Figure out what was going on with him and his parents. Kids can't just go offing people because of their situation. There are other options."

"Not for Johnny." Darry said quietly. He thought about the fear on Johnny's face when he'd realized what he'd done. It was necessary; Darry was positive Johnny's father would have killed him and it would have happened sooner rather than later. His father was just waiting for the right opportunity.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the police station. Neither of them had said a word the rest of the way to the police station, the words of Detective James setting in, making Darry nervous. The detective pulled the car up to the curb and walked around to the passenger side, opening Darry's door and helping him out of the vehicle so that he wouldn't put any more of a burden on his shoulder and arm. Darry thanked him for his gesture, though he was still unsure about the man. He didn't feel he was a bad guy, but he was also someone who could put Johnny away for a long time. Or at the very least, have him taken away.

The detective told Darry he could sit with the others, who were still waiting on the benches looking worn and afraid. It had been hours and other than the few moments the woman came to speak to them, they hadn't spoken much. The detective and Darry parted ways, the detective going into an office at the end of the hall, while Darry went to check on everyone. Dallas saw him first, and smiled slightly. "Hey, Darry."

At the sound of his brother's name, Ponyboy shot out from under Soda's arm and wrapped his arms tightly around his oldest brother's waist. Pony was shaking from all the tension and Darry tried to comfort him as best as he could, only having one arm to work with. When Ponyboy pulled away, he looked Darry in the eye. "Are you okay Dare?"

"I'll be okay Pone." Darry assured him, surveying the rest of the gang. Dally still leaned against the wall, chewing a fingernail. He looked pretty comfortable in a station, unfortunately. The rest of them were another story. Johnny still leaned into Soda, looking pale and miserable. Darry could tell he was in pain, both physically and mentally. He reminded himself to ask for some aspirin for the boy. Soda looked exhausted, and his breathing deep and shaky, a sure sign he was trying his best to keep it together. Two-Bit was grinding his teeth, his eyes fixated on the floor. He felt he had played a big part in this whole mess and couldn't bring himself to look anyone in the eye. Steve kept going between watching the officers in the station go about their business and gazing at his friends, feeling more trapped and pissed off than afraid.

The woman who had addressed them all earlier once again walked up to them, this time speaking to Darry first. "Hi, you must be Darrell. I'm Officer Eva Gaines. I spoke to everyone earlier. How are you doing?"

"I'll live." Darry told her, and she continued. "I understand you are the guardian of –" She looked at her clipboard. "Sodapop and Ponyboy Curtis?" Darry said he was. "You can be present at their questioning. It seems the rest of them are okay to be interviewed alone, one way or another." She looked at the boys "It seems your parents can either not be present and have given their permission or you are of age so all of you will be interviewed separately by one of our officers. I'll handle a few of you and Detective James will take the rest. I've ordered some sandwiches for you since you've been here for so long and you may eat when you please." She pointed to a table lined with sandwiches, chips, and bottled water. No one made a move for the table. "I'd like to speak to Ponyboy first, if that's alright." Pony looked at Darry, fear in his eyes. Darry told her that would be fine and she told them to follow her to a dimly lit room to their right. "Darry, I'm scared."

"It's gonna be okay Pony. All you have to do is tell the truth." Pony nodded and two of them made their way to the room where Officer Gaines stood. The two of them took a seat at the chairs they were offered, on one side of the table and Officer Gaines closed the door, cutting them off from the rest of the world. Ponyboy let out a shaky breath. As the officer sat across from them, and with Darry by his side, Pony began to tell their story.


	15. Chapter 15

The day turned to night, the boys each taking their turns telling the police their story. Darry accompanied Pony and Soda, as well as Johnny. The boys all told the same story, from their perspective. Johnny had the hardest time with it, breaking down more than once. All Darry could do was offer a comforting arm; he wasn't allowed to speak while the other boys gave their statements. Dallas was vile and opinionated, but gave the same story as the rest of them.

They were all sitting once again in the lobby of the station, Officer Gaines once again addressing them. "You boys have been through a lot, and at this point all of your statements coincide. I'm allowing you to return to your homes at this point. But stay close. We may need to contact you for further questioning and after the gentlemen working at the Cade household have finished their investigation; we may need to see you again. As of right now, we are not holding anyone for a crime. Johnny, as of right now I'm allowing you to stay with Mr. Curtis and his brothers. Things may change once your mother is located, but as of this point in the investigation, there is no harm in you staying at a place where you feel safe, even if it s not your given home. Thank you for your time boys, you may go."

A sigh of relief went through the gang. Johnny was quiet, the rest of the them somewhat chatty, their relief at not having to spend another second at the station clear. Darry kept looking at Johnny as they walked out to the two cop cars awaiting them, their own vehicles still at the Cade's home.

When they pulled up to the Cade house, Darry felt Johnny stiffen next to him. Looking over at the young boy, Darry reached out with his good arm and took the frightened boy's hand in his. "It's okay Johnny. Don't even look."

Johnny tried hard not to look at that house, his house, where he had killed his own father. He thought of the blood soaking into the floor, pooling around the man who smelled of whisky and cigars, the breath leaving him for the last time. He felt his stomach clench, bile rising into his throat. He threw open the door to the police car and emptied his stomach of the little he had eaten that day. Darry rubbed his back, just as he'd do for Soda and Pony, and murmured comforting words to his friend. When he was finished, Johnny sat back up and the two of them followed Dallas and Two-Bit out of the car. Steve, Pony, and Soda were getting out of the other vehicle when they noticed how pale Johnny looked. Pony immediately walked over to his friend and wrapped him in a hug. "It's gonna be okay, Johnny." He told him, not quite believing it himself. Johnny could do little more than nod, and as they climbed into their own vehicles, Johnny wondered what was going to happen to him. Would he go back with his mother? If he did, he knew he would be punished severely for taking action against his father, his mother having no problem taking over the main role of beating the young boy. If not, would he be sent to a home or would he be allowed to stay with the Curtis's? He didn't want to ask Darry if he could stay, sure that Darry had enough responsibility with Soda and Ponyboy. He was scared, confused, angry—too many emotions to fit inside his head all at once. He felt tears stinging his eyes and his back felt tight and itchy, yet somehow raw at the same time. He felt Darry carding a hand through his hair (Soda was driving due to Darry's arm) and he felt his head tip to the side, leaning on Darry's shoulder. In the short time it took them to get to the Curtis household, Johnny had fallen asleep, the dreams entering his mind with a sickening reality that sent Johnny into a whole new wave of terror.


	16. Chapter 16

Come out, come out wherever you are." The singsong in the man's voice couldn't hide the bitter, angry tone that was always laced through it. The small boy closed his eyes, and tried to hold his breath, but he knew it was no use. The man would find him eventually, he always did. He tried to sit behind the sparse clothing hanging in the closet, hoping it would give him a few more minutes of peace. Around his house, minutes were like hours, hours like days. He wanted to keep the pain at bay for as long as he could. He wasn't sure if hiding would make it worse or not, if keeping quiet would only prolong the anger, making it more aggressive. But he was only a child, and very very afraid. Every time this happened, he tried to make himself as small as possible, which wasn't hard, considering he was quite small for his age.

He heard the footsteps coming closer and sucked in a breath. The door opened and the young boy found himself staring up at two very hard eyes, any warmth having gone long before he was born. "Just can't help yourself, can you boy?" He reached into the closet, grabbing the small child by an arm and yanking him out into the room. "No use in hiding in here."

He threw the boy to the ground, cackling as the child flinched. "Here I spend my hard earned money on you, buy you this nice bed to sleep in, with a comfortable blanket and a fluffy pillow. And you go and piss all over it." His clucked his tongue in disappointment. "Now, Johnny. We can't be having any of that. Seven year olds don't wet the bed. What would happen if all your little friends at school found out? Or your teacher?" He moved to circle Johnny, who was now looking at the floor in embarrassment. "And your mama doesn't deserve to have to clean up your piss mess, you nasty little shit. But maybe if I beat it out of you, you'll stop." Johnny sniffled, his wet pajamas sticking to his skin. They smelled awful, not having been washed in weeks, and he knew his bed wouldn't be either. He tried not to, tried to limit how much water he drank, only enough to fill his belly, as food was scarce, but his dreams scared him to the point where he couldn't help it. His days bled into the night, an endless circle he couldn't escape. "Clean yourself up." His father spat, smacking him across the face. "You disgust me."

The young boy felt his eyes begin to tear up and held it in for as long as he could, long enough for his father to leave the room, before letting them fall. He heard the front door slam and the sound of a truck starting up, then pulling out of the drive and heading down the street. He was now alone. He wiped a hand across his face and peeled his pajamas off before stepping into the shower. At seven, he'd been giving himself a bath or shower the past few years. He stood under the minimal spray of water, enjoying the hot stream that fell onto his body. He tried not to look, but he could see the scars that etched his body, the redness of the newest ones, the white of the older ones, both equally hard to look at. He felt somewhat relieved that he hadn't had to endure the wrath of his father a moment ago; sure, he'd yelled, but he wasn't whipped and beaten like he'd expected.

When he was through with his shower, he went back to his room, bare but for a bed and dresser, and tore the sheets from his bed. After getting dressed, he walked to the laundry room. His clothing and bedding needed to be washed, and he was going to figure out how to do it on his own. Just like everything else, he thought. It didn't take him long to figure out the washing machine and then he ventured into the kitchen for something to eat. There wasn't much, but he managed to scrape together things for a sandwich and went outside to eat it.

Sitting on the porch, he noticed three boys, jumping around and playing with a football. He watched them carefully, but didn't intervene. He thought they must be brothers the way they acted with one another, you could tell they were close. He had always wondered what it would be like to have brothers, or sisters for that matter, not that he would wish his life on anyone else. He watched as the youngest took a leap for the ball, missing, and hitting the ground hard. Johnny could hear his cries even from where he was, and instantly felt a deep sadness for the young boy. But then he watched as the oldest one knelt down and scooped him up, sitting the boy in his lap and checking him over. The middle boy, maybe 9 or 10, brushed the young boy's hair from his face, saying something to make the youngest laugh. All three of them ended up smiling and laughing in no time, getting back up and continuing their game. Johnny wished he could have something like that; someone who would care if he were sad or hurt, but the only people he knew did the hurting. He watched them play for awhile longer, until his heart couldn't take it any longer, then retreated back into the house. Maybe one day he'd feel brave enough to talk to them, but right now, he was afraid, not just for himself, but for everyone he came in contact with. His parents weren't very fond of him making friends, too many eyes and ears and all that. But as he walked back into his house, he wondered if maybe the next time he saw them he'd have the courage to say hi.


	17. Chapter 17

Johnny startled awake, sucking in a deep breath and jolting upright. Darry immediately pulled Johnny to him, feeling the young boy's heart thumping in his chest. "It's okay. It's okay Johnny. We're here. Nothing bad is going to happen to you anymore." Darry thought the events of the day were still weighing heavily on the Johnny, and rightly so. But Johnny wasn't just afraid of the future, even though his father wasn't around anymore, the past was still there to haunt him. Tears didn't fall from Johnny's eyes this time, but his breathing took its time to return to normal. He let himself curl into Darry until they arrived at the Curtis house.

Soda pulled the truck into the drive and the four of them sat there a moment before getting out, Soda walking ahead to open the door. Darry walked with an arm supporting Johnny, Pony trailing behind. The four of them took seats in the living room to wait for the rest of the gang to arrive. Before long Dallas, Steve, and Two-Bit filled the room with angry chatter. Dallas wanted to kill Johnny's father all over again, while Steve paced claiming a few drinks would help the situation, and Two-Bit went back and forth between feeling angry over the situation and guilty as hell.

"Alright." Darry announced. "We can't just sit around being all pissed off. It's been a long day, we're all exhausted—" He ran a hand through his hair, all the emotions of the day settling over the room. "Yelling ain't gonna fix any of this. Right now we all need to get some rest—"

"Darry, some serious shit went down today. We can't just ignore that!" Dallas argued.

"I agree, Dally. And we won't. But right now we need to think of Johnny." He looked at the pale boy sitting beside him, who had begun to tremble slightly. "And this—" He gestured to the electric tension in the air. "This ain't helping."

Dally clenched his jaw. He didn't like being reprimanded, or taking orders, but he knew Darry was right. Johnny was the most important thing at the moment. Not only had he been beaten severely, but he had watched more than one of his friends threatened with a gun, one of them having been shot, been interrogated by the cops, and may very well be on trial for murder if it comes down to that. Dally, who never admitted his wrongdoings, walked over to the frightened boy and carefully took Johnny in his arms. Johnny's shaking lessened and he felt himself lean into Dally's touch. Dally whispered something in

Johnny's ear and the boy nodded slightly. Dally pulled away and addressed the room. "Come on guys. I'll drive you all home." Two-Bit and Steve followed, saying their good nights as they left.

After the gang had left and only the brothers and Johnny remained, Darry turned to Johnny. "Johnnycake, what did Dally say to you?" He wasn't angry, only curious, and his voice was soft.

Johnny looked up from his lap, his eyes travelling form one Curtis to the next, coming to rest on Darry. His hair fell into his eyes, and tears formed once again, cascading down his cheeks. Darry looked at Johnny with concern. He placed his good hand on Johnny's, encouraging him to speak. "He said, 'It ain't over.' He said 'It ain't over, but it will be.'"


	18. Chapter 18

Darry looked at Johnny for a moment, trying to decide what to say. If Dally was promising Johnny something, he was likely to live up to that promise. The problem was, what exactly was he planning to do? Johnny's father was already dead.

And then it hit Darry like a train. Johnny's mother. She was just as responsible for Johnny's pain as his father was. She hurt him just as much as his father, if not physically, then mentally, and she certainly had no problem torturing the poor boy or watching her husband beat him into submission. Not only that, but as long as she was in the picture, there was a possibility Johnny would still be living the same way he had been for years; beaten, tortured, humiliated. Dally wouldn't stand for that. None of them would really, but Dally would take matters into his own hands. Darry felt his heart begin to race. If Dally carried out whatever plan he had, it would only lead to problems. The police would be all over it if both parents died suddenly in a suspicious way. Johnny was due for an exam at the hospital the next day to check on his injuries (the police had thought he'd been through enough and wanted him to go home and get some rest before being put through the battery of tests they were going to need to do). Darry didn't think it was in Johnny's best interest to attract any negative police attention, but Dally wouldn't see it that way and despite his best intentions, it wouldn't look good for Johnny.

Darry could feel the scared boy trembling under his hand and heard a choked sob catch in his chest. Darry moved his arm to pull Johnny to his chest. It pained him to see Johnny so vulnerable. He knew Johnny hated himself for showing so much emotion, felt that he was causing problems for everyone else. Darry snuck a look at Pony, who was sitting on the other side of Soda, his face buried in his brother's shoulder. Soda was brushing a hand through Pony's hair, trying his best to soothe the young boy. Darry knew Soda was just as upset as Johnny and Pony and he could tell Soda was doing his very best to hide it, to control his emotions. "Soda." Darry said softly. He wished his other arm were of use to him at the moment so that he could comfort Soda as well. Hearing his brother's voice, Soda's face crumbled and he turned his face into Pony's hair.

Johnny's tears subsided, turning to sniffles, and Darry could tell Johnny was trying to control his breathing, calming himself down. He pulled away from Darry and rubbed a hand over his face. "Sorry." He mumbled.

"Hey," Darry told him. "You are in no position to apologize for any of this. I'm sorry none of us saw this coming, that we didn't act sooner. But Johnny, you don't have to be sorry for anything."

Johnny was quiet for a moment, Pony and Soda still quietly upset on their end of the couch, the past few days wearing on everyone. ""I saw you guys once."

"What?" Darry asked, not understanding, his face full of confusion and concern.

"You and Soda and Pony." Ponyboy and Soda looked up at this, all wondering what Johnny was going to say. "I saw you awhile before we met. You were all playing catch with a football, somewhere close to my place. I was sitting on the front porch, my dad having left for wherever it was he went after—" Johnny paused, his voice catching. After composing himself, he continued, "So I got a sandwich and went to sit on the porch to just get out of that house, you know. I watched you guys for awhile. And Pony-I didn't know who you were then-fell trying to catch the ball. I felt bad for him, he sounded like he was really hurt." Johnny paused then, the memory coming back as if it were yesterday. He looked at Darry. "But you just ran over and picked him up. Immediately. You didn't hesitate. You didn't mock him or yell at him for being too stupid or too slow or in the way. You just ran over helped him. Soda, you said something that made Pony laugh and then he was okay. Just got up and acted like nothing bad ever happened." He looked at Pony then, his eyes locking with his friend's. "Pony, I didn't know people were like that. I didn't know that not everyone was like my parents. I was only a kid. I thought what I went through every day was normal. That maybe I was weak, that others were better at hiding it, told lies like I did so no one would know." He sniffed and closed his eyes, stemming the tears before they came again. "I wanted to be friends with you guys. I wanted what you had, to be a part of something like that. But now—" The tears came anyway. "Now I AM a part of it and I'm so sorry. I should have kept to myself. I should never have brought Pony home that day I saw him at the park—"

"Johnny no!" Pony leaped up from his spot on the couch and knelt down in front of Johnny. "I'm glad you were there with me. We wouldn't trade you being here for anything."

"It's all my fault though. Don't you see? It would have been better for everyone if I had just left you alone. Now this happened, which I caused. And you guys are suffering and Two-Bit and Steve and Dally—he's—and it's all my fault. All of it." Johnny folded in on himself, nearly bent in half, his hands covering his face.

Pony stayed where he was, kneeling on the floor, too in shock to move. He stared at Johnny, trying to process the words he'd just heard, Johnny's keening, his gentle, yet almost desperate rocking, sending everyone over into stunned silence. Pony and Soda moved their glances between Johnny and Darry, wondering what to do or say, coming up empty. It was Darry who spoke first, his voice making Pony jump. "Enough!" Johnny looked up, eyes wide, his face tear- stained. He swallowed and tried to contain his shaking. He looked at Darry, almost fearful. "You listen here Jonnycake." Darry wasn't angry, but his voice was stern, the one he used when either of his brothers were in trouble. "You are part of this family just as much as any one of us. I don't want to hear that kind of talk anymore, do you understand?" Johnny looked down, and Darry sighed, calming his voice. "Johnny, none of this is your fault. None of it." He lifted Johnny's chin so that the young boy was looking him in the eyes. "The second your parents laid a hand on you, the moment they decided you weren't good enough, Johnny, it all became their fault. They did all this. Every single part of this happened because of them." He reached out a hand and placed it behind Johnny's head, brushing his hair back gently. "You are so good Johnny. All that you've been through, you could have turned out like Dallas. But you didn't, Johnny. And no matter how you got here, whatever brought you here, we're not letting you go anytime soon."

Johnny felt himself smile slightly. "But Johnny, we need to figure out how to deal with Dally. I'm not sure what he's planning, but based on what he told you, it's not going to help you in any way. I know Dally means well; he cares about you just as much as we do, but he's not doing it the right way." Johnny nodded. Darry looked at each of them in turn, his THREE brothers. "You guys stay here and try and get some rest." He stood, brushing Johnny's cheek once more. "I'm going to find Dally. And then we have a few things to talk about." With that he turned and headed out the door, leaving the boys where they were, exhausted and worried.

Johnny turned to Pony and Soda. "What's he want to talk about?"

Soda could hear the fear in Johnny's voice that once again someone was going to fail him. Soda smiled. "Don't worry Johnny, it's something good this time."


	19. Chapter 19

Darry ran a hand over his face. He was exhausted and a headache was beginning to form behind his eyes. He knew Johnny would be in good hands with Soda and Pony, but he couldn't help but worry. How in the world could Johnny think any of this was HIS fault? That thought ate at him as he searched the streets for Dally. Darry knew Dallas had left on foot and hoped he was close. Dally had a knife on him but nothing else. At least he hoped not.

He felt a heavy sigh leave his body as he got closer to Johnny's street. He didn't think Dally would go there; it would be crawling with police. But he had to check just to make his heart slow down. He pulled up in front of Johnny's house as two officers were exiting through the front door. There was caution tape around the perimeter of the home, a lone police car sitting in the driveway with lights flashing. He thought of the sirens and lights from earlier and felt his arm throb with the memory. "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to move on. This is a crime scene."

"Huh?" The words were barely audible in his mind. "Oh. Right. Sorry." The officer wasn't one of the ones he had seen earlier, so she didn't realize he was in that house just a few hours before. He pulled away from the curb, thankful at least that Dally wasn't here. He had no idea where Johnny's mother was, and realized that Dally wouldn't either. That made him relax somewhat, the tension in his head and shoulders ease.

He headed towards Tim Shepard's place, hoping Dally stopped there to blow off some steam. It wasn't far, but he gunned it anyway. It was safe to say that Darry was a careful driver, always making sure to follow any and all traffic laws; it wouldn't do them any good if he ended up with a record, or worse, in jail. Granted traffic violations didn't come with hefty penalties typically, but Darry worried about even the slightest infraction, careful not to draw any unnecessary attention to their family. He didn't want to give anyone any reason to split them up.

Tim's house was dark and brooding as usual, but the unmistakable sound of a fight came through the otherwise silent street. He couldn't tell who it was; the sound was muffled somewhat, but he would bet anything Dally was in there with Tim, and it didn't seem like it was going well. Pulling into the drive, he cut the engine and sat there a moment. He had to compose himself before entering the house. Darry was a mix of two things: level-headed and full of common sense and teeth-gritted anger. He had to walk in there with the right mindset. He hadn't really thought it through as far as to what was going to happen when he found Dally, he just knew he needed to find him and fast. Now that he was here, in front of the problem, he needed a moment.

The action inside got louder and more aggressive. He needed to get in there. He knew Tim and Dally wouldn't pull anything on one another, but they could do some damage with their fists. With a sigh, Darry got out of his truck and ran up to the house, throwing open the front door. "—ever be the last time you hear from me Shepard!" "Ain't my problem, Dally. You better remember who you're talking to." Tim was standing with his mouth in an angry line. Dally was all ramped up, his body bouncing as if he had electricity flowing through him, waving a finger in Tim's face. They didn't seem to notice Darry, or they just didn't care. They just kept yelling at one another, their stances suggesting it was about to head in a whole other direction.

Minding his shoulder, Darry stepped between the two bickering men just as Dallas threw a punch. It hit Darry square in the jaw knocking him into Tim. Dally stepped back, shocked to see Darry standing in front of him, Tim having put a hand on Darry's back to keep him upright. While he had glared daggers at Tim, when he saw Darry his face went slack, shocked at what he had just done. Dally wasn't one to hold back in a fight, but he certainly didn't want to hit Darry. "Shit, Darry!"

"I think now would be a good time for you to leave." Darry kept his eyes on Dallas, his face hard as stone.

"But Johnny—" Dallas began, spit flying from his mouth.

"This" Darry gestured to their surroundings. "is not helping Johnny." He stepped closer to Dally, his anger subsiding. "I know you want to help him Dally. I get it. We all want to protect him. But whatever you're here to try and convince Tim to do isn't the right answer."

"Well nothing else has worked so far has it Darrel?" The words bit the air sharply, Dally's anger and frustration apparent.

" Dally—" Darry reached a hand out to try and coax Dally to come with him. "Come on, let's be rational about this. Come back to the house with me and then we can sit down and talk—"

"I don't think so Darry." Dally pulled away from Darry, throwing up his hands, his eyes full of vile purpose. He thundered out the door and into the darkness of the night. Darry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Darry." Darry turned to the voice behind him, forgetting for a moment that Tim Shepherd was in the room with them. Tim's voice was raspy, it had an edge that stood out and typically made people nervous. It's how he got what he wanted. At the moment, he was serious, the look in his eyes cold, yet almost concerned. His voice told Darry to pay attention. "I think you should hear what Dally came here to tell me."


	20. Chapter 20

Dally left the Curtis household on foot, not caring that it was cold or that it was dark enough for trouble to find him. He was on a mission. He had to get to Shepherd's place and fast. Anger coursed through him like lightning, sending his nerves into overdrive. His fists clenched and unclenched and he wanted to tear something apart. He also wanted a few beers, a few cigarettes, and a few words with Tim Shepherd. Shepherd was one of the tuffest guys he knew and he knew how to get things done. Dally was one who enjoyed a good rumble now and then, but where his mind was leading him now was not a place he usually went. So many things were going through the greaser's head and he had no outlet. But that wouldn't be so for long.

His breathing became ragged and his heart thundered in his chest as he got closer to Tim's place. He was running now, trying to keep ahead of his thoughts. The cigarettes were burning a hole in his pocket; he wanted to have one the second he left the Curtis home, just to clear his head. But he didn't, not yet. He wanted to get to Tim's and lighting a cigarette would take time. Time he didn't have.

The lights were off when he arrived at Shepherd's and he was just fine with that. He knew someone was there from the truck parked in the driveway and he hurried up the front steps and threw the door open without knocking. Dally was a regular at Shepherd's and no one would think twice about him strolling in the door. "Shepherd!" Dally called, fidgeting with adrenaline. He couldn't seem to stand still, the anger running through him, fighting to get out. "Shep—"

Tim Shepherd stepped from another room, his face stoic. "What do you Winston?" He said, cutting Dally off. "Come running in here like a crazy person; is that any way to greet me?"

"Look Shepherd, I don't got time for your shit. Something just went down and I need your help." Dally was pretty casual and nonchalant when it came to caring about things, good or bad, that happened. He wasn't one to let his emotions get in the way of his thinking. But this time was different, this time it involved Johnny. Dally was full force pissed off, and he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it as he continued. "You know that kid, Johnny? The one that has that fucked up family?" He took a drag, savoring it as the smoke made its way into his body. "Well, more than ours?"

Shepherd only nodded, waiting to see where Dally was going with this. He had never seen Dallas Winston this keyed up, this out of control. Was he on something? He didn't think Dally got into the hard stuff, mostly smokes and booze, but the way Dally was acting he wouldn't be surprised if he'd snapped.

"He just fucking offed his old man. Didn't think the kid had it in him. Bastard had been wailing on him for years and I guess none of us knew just how bad it was until a few days ago. Man shot Darry. He's fine, man, but Johnny pounced. It was like he was possessed and just kind of stood there after it happened. Problem now is that we don't know what's gonna happen to him. Kid could end up in jail." He took another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly, looking at Tim, his voice becoming more normal. "Johnny don't belong in jail. Not him. He won't survive ten minutes in there. I belong in there. Me. I'll do just fine."

"What are you getting at Dally?" Tim stared down at Dally, not completely sure where he was going.

"I gotta do something to take the heat off Johnny." He sucked in another drag. "He's just a kid. Even if he gets off, its only a matter of time until that bitch of a mother gets him back. I can't let that happen!" His voice grew louder, stronger. "I can't let Johnny get taken back into that mess! I won't!" He slammed his fist into the wall, sending flecks of paint and plaster to the floor.

"What are you planning to do Dally?"

Dally laughed then, a very unfunny sound, nearly a scoff. "What do you think I'm gonna do?"

"I have an idea. What are you here for?"

Dally ran a hand through his hair, the cigarette burning between his fingers getting close to the end as he took a deep drag and put it out on the bottom of his shoe. "I need you to cover for me, man. I need you to provide an alibi or some shit."

"You need to slow down, Dally. What good is any of this gonna do? You know I'm all for getting even, but laying someone out is a completely different thing. You get caught, you won't be getting out this time."

Dally licked his lips and stepped closer to Tim. "You think I give a SHIT about my life? You think being locked up makes any difference to me? You either want to help me or you don't. But either way this is going to happen."

"Now you watch it Winston." Tim stepped closer as well, the two practically nose to nose. "Don't you come in here and threaten me."

"You're such a fucking hypocrite, Shepherd!" Dally snarled. He didn't think it was going to be this much of a challenge. He stepped around Tim, nudging him with his shoulder as he did so.

"I ain't got a heater, Dally, if that's what you're looking for."

"Like hell you don't!" Dally spun on his spot and found Tim standing there, holding his ground. He hadn't moved but to turn to where Dally was standing. "You don't think I'll find one elsewhere?"

"I don't think you're in the right mind to think about that right now."

"And what would you know about that huh?" Dally shouted, spit flying from his mouth. Why couldn't Tim just cooperate? "You think none of this concerns you because you don't know Johnny like I do? You're wrong, Shepherd! We gonna turn on each other now? Is that how it's gonna be?"

"Now I think you'd better get goin before something bad happens."

"Oh you think you're gonna take me down? Well here I am." He opened his arms wide to give Tim a clear shot. "I should have known you were nothing but a waste of hair grease."

"Dally—"

"No." Dally growled, his voice filled with anger and hatred. "You don't help me out here it'll be the last time you ever hear from me, Shepherd."

"Ain't my problem Dally. You'd better remember who you're talking to!" Tim spat.

Dally gritted his teeth, threw his arm back and his Darry straight in the jaw. He pulled back, shocked at the person standing in front of him. Of course Darry was here, Darry was always there. "Shit, Darry!"

But Darry didn't move, didn't get angry. He kept his voice calm, trying to reason with Dally, tell him what he was thinking was not going to help Johnny. But he was wrong, this time Darry wasn't going to be the hero. Dally brushed past Darry and Tim and stormed out of the house.

No one followed him as he let the door slam behind him and walked off down the street. He didn't have a specific place in mind, just let his feet lead him away from two of the people trying to stop him. As he lit another cigarette, he knew one thing, he was going to do this one way or another.


	21. Chapter 21

Darry sat on the couch in Tim Shepherd's front room, rubbing his jaw. Dally was a good fighter, he hit hard. Darry knew he would have a sore jaw the next day. He sighed as the weight of the information Tim had given him sank in. He knew Dallas was fired up, ready to start something; he just didn't foresee how badly this could all turn out. He knew Dallas Winston would try and find Johnny's mother and give her the runaround, maybe push her around a bit, but a heater? That was a whole new ballgame. He knew they had to do something before Dally hurt someone or worse. But at the moment he couldn't think of anything. Tim hadn't moved much from where he was standing, after telling him that Dally was planning to use a gun, whether to threaten or more, they didn't know for sure. Dally had never killed anyone, but considering the state he was in, they couldn't be one hundred percent sure he wasn't going to be pushed to the brink. He didn't need to say much for than what he had, and his silence now that the newest problem was out in the open, was excruciating.

Running a hand through his hair, he stood once more, and clapping Tim on the shoulder, made his way back to his truck. He hadn't been at Tim's very long, but he couldn't sit there any longer. He had to at least look for Dally. At this point he knew Dally didn't have a gun on him, but he knew he could find one if he really wanted. Getting in his truck, he pondered where Dally might have gone. There was no indication of which direction the greaser had gone and other than his own house, Shepherd's place, and the Cade home, he had absolutely no idea where his next move house be. After a moment, he decided to drive back home first and fill the gang in on the face that he had at least found Dally, and for the moment he didn't have a weapon other than his blade. But as he got closer to his house, it was getting harder and harder to think that he had just let Dally walk away. He just had to hope Mrs. Cade stayed where she was and that Dally had no idea where that place was. Until then, he could still hope he could change Dally's mind.

Darry parked his car in the driveway and shut off the engine. Sitting in his truck, he wasn't sure what he was going to tell the gang. Johnny was terrified of what was going to happen in the next few days and weeks, Pony was close to the edge as well, worrying about his best friend going to jail or even worse, back to his mother. The rest of them weren't faring much better. Soda was pretty emotional these past few days, not knowing if their family was going to have to go through any more trauma, Two-Bit felt guilty as hell thinking he hadn't watched Johnny closely enough, and Steve was trying to stay calm, yet acting all pissed off instead. Darry closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his mind down. He was just as worried as the rest of them, but one of them had to keep a level head and try and help Johnny through all of this; he couldn't go back into that house looking like he just lost in a rumble.

Sliding his keys into his pocket, he stepped out of the truck and made his way inside the house, where the gang was piled in the living room, some on the couch and the rest on the floor in front of it, all staring at the door as Darry walked through it. Darry opened his mouth to speak, but Soda spoke first. "Darry." His voice trembled slightly and it stopped Darry cold. Had Dally called? Had he gone through with his threat? "It's all over the news."

"What?" Darry breathed, coming further into the house and looking at the television, the channel turned to a news station. There in front of him was live coverage of the Cade house, complete with police tape and officers going in and out. In that moment, things just got a whole lot more complicated.


	22. Chapter 22

Dally felt like he was walking in circles, the tension in his body still fighting for release. He had smoked a couple cigarettes to try and calm himself, but it did no good. He wasn't sure what to do next. He wouldn't be satisfied only picking a fight, and getting drunk would only make his mind too foggy for what he was planning to do next. He knew Dally and Tim didn't agree with his plans, but he couldn't see any other way to go about it. Johnny couldn't go back to that woman. She would blame Johnny for what had happened and would no doubt beat him to death. Dally could deal with any consequence that may happen to himself as a result, but he couldn't face himself if something happened to Johnny and he didn't do anything to stop it.

Stubbing yet another cigarette out with the toe of his boot, he proceeded to walk to where johnny's house was, the police still swarming the place. They didn't know him other than his record and surely wouldn't put him at the scene of the crime, not unless the officers who brought them all in were hanging about. He just wanted to get a look at it, take a peek at the house where Johnny got extremely brave and fought back. Too bad it took someone he cared about getting shot for it to happen; too bad he didn't care enough about himself to fight back sooner.

The officers didn't even acknowledge him, plenty of others were bearing witness to the taped off house. They kept their distance, though, and so did Dally. He figured they had already taken their photos and removed the body and wondered what they could be doing there still. They knew who was at the scene, knew what had happened, what other evidence they be searching for? Maybe they'd find something in there that would prove the bastard beat the living shit out of his son on a daily basis, surely they'd find plenty of booze. And Johnny's room—Dally felt sick as he remembered the condition of Johnny and his surroundings. But maybe it would help things along, at least he hoped.

Feeling a bit better about the situation, he decided to head back to the Curtis' and let them know he hadn't offed the old lady. Yet. He was still angry, but going by Johnny's had helped a bit. He also knew they were going to check Johnny over in the morning. There was no point in doing it tonight, Johnny wouldn't have cooperated having someone touch him in his current state.

As he walked through the door of the Curtis household, he saw every face in the room on him, clearly awaiting the news that he'd put a bullet in Johnny's mother's head. He held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't do anything so you can all stop staring at me." He felt the entire room breathe a sigh of relief.

"Dally—"

"Save it Darry." He still wasn't happy with Darry trying to get his two cents in. "I know what you're going to say. And I think you've said enough."

"Now hold on." Darry stood, his voice stern, but not angry. "I'm glad you didn't do anything stupid tonight Dal. We have more important things to think about, namely Johnny."

Dally looked at the small boy sitting on the couch, his face emotionless, but fear plain in his eyes. He walked to Johnny, looked into those pained eyes, and knelt down in front of him. "I want to be in there tomorrow. When they check you. I don't want you to have to deal with that alone."

Johnny looked at him a moment before he gave a small nod. Dally looked back at Johnny, understanding passing between them. Dally nodded back at Johnny. "Ok." He said quietly, before getting up and walking out of the room.


	23. Chapter 23

No one slept that night. At least not in any way that made a difference. Darry made sure to look over Johnny's back, as well as the rest of him, despite the fact that in a few hours he'd be getting checked out by several doctors. Nothing seemed infected as far as he could tell, but he'd leave that up to the medical professionals to determine for sure.

When the time came, they all piled into the two vehicles and headed to the hospital. Johnny was both nervous and relieved, that maybe some of this could help him, but afraid to face up to the past that haunted him in his dreams, one that never truly went away. The hospital didn't seem as horrifying this time around, hope lingering in the corners, as they made their way to the front desk, explaining why they were there, and went to sit in the same chairs as they always had.

No one spoke much, each fidgeting, stealing looks at Johnny, each other. Dallas refused to sit, biting his thumbnail as he stood along the wall and fixed his gaze on Johnny, knowing that this could go more than a few different ways. Dally wasn't one to be upset by much, and Johnny was his only weakness, his feelings conflicting with his typical attitude.

A nurse showed up after about twenty minutes of stewing and thinking and worrying, and motioned for Johnny to follow her down a long corridor, Dally on their heels. Upon entering a bright white exam room, the nurse put up an arm to stop Dally from entering after Johnny. "Sorry, hon, just Mr. Cade."

Johnny looked back at Dally with a look of fear, or maybe something else, and Dally protested. "Look, I'm going in there with him. He can't do this by himself. Hasn't he been through enough?" He tried to be nice, through gritted teeth, though probably failing, the anger over this situation embedded within him.

The nurse looked at Dallas for a moment, then moved her arm and let him join Johnny in the room, closing the door before retreating down the hallway. "How ya doin Johnny?" Dally asked, once again biting his thumb. Johnny shrugged, taking a seat on the examination table. "Some crazy shit huh?"

"Yeah." Johnny said absently. "Hope this is quick."

"What's taking so long?" Ponyboy demanded. He kept alternating from sitting to standing and back again, not able to shake his nervousness. "Pony, would you sit down!" Darry snapped. "We're all waiting, anxious for this to be over, but freaking out isn't doing Johnny any good."

"Come on, Pony, " Soda put an arm around Ponyboy's shoulders and led him to a seat, keeping his arm where it was, trying to settle his younger brother and keep him in one spot. "They just want to make sure they go over everything. They want to check out every part of him."

Pony almost opened his mouth to ask how bad was it that it was taking so long, but he already knew the answer; he'd seen Johnny without clothing, the damage that had been done to his body. He felt his eyes well with fresh tears, clenching his jaw to keep them from falling.

Two-Bit and Steve weren't sitting as much as wandering the halls. They probably hit up every vending machine within hospital walls, coming back laden with snacks and sodas for everyone, clearly trying to cause a distraction, though no one felt much like eating.

After what seemed like hours, the nurse finally came back out, hopefully with information. "You may come with me now. The doctor has finished the examination." They all stood, various expressions crossing various faces, and followed the nurse down the hallway, leaving scattered junk food in their wake.

When the doctor stepped into the room, Johnny immediately decided he looked nice enough, Dally immediately decided he hated him. "John Cade?" He asked, pulling up a wheeled chair directly in front of Johnny. Johnny nodded. The doctor didn't even look at Dally. "I'm Dr. Charles Whitman, you can call me Doc, Charles, Chuck, whatever makes you more comfortable, okay?" Johnny nodded again, feeling nervous now, his body betraying his mind, which was trying to keep him steady. "It's ok and normal to be scared, nervous, angry, all of the above. And unfortunately this is probably not the most comfortable situation, but we need for this to happen, to help you." The doctor didn't mention that Johnny had killed his father just the day before, didn't mention he was a greaser, not even that he looked like he'd slept in his clothes for days. "I see you brought some support with you." He said, acknowledging Dally for the first time. "This is Dally." Johnny told him quietly.

"If at any time you become uncomfortable with Dally in here, just say the word and he will be asked to leave, no questions." Johnny nodded, Dally scowled, and the doctor asked Johnny to remove his clothing. Johnny did as he was told, slowly, until he was down to his underwear. Dally stared at the floor the whole time, trying to give the kid at least a little bit of dignity. Dally watched quietly as the doctor started with Johnny's head, then face, and moved down to his torso, where he spent quite a bit of time. At one point, he noticed Johnny's eyes well with tears, noticed his own becoming wet. The doctor stopped what he was doing, and took Johnny's arms in his hands, gently. "Is any of this causing you physical pain while I'm doing this?"

"No, sir." Johnny's tears fell when he answered, both afraid to look, and not to look, at the doctor. He wasn't sure he could look at Dally at the moment either. Eventually, after a moment of silence, Johnny looked at the doctor , tears making tracks on his face, and told him every detail, explaining his past in moments, minutes and seconds. The doctor listened, not moving, watching Johnny the entire time, until Johnny was a sobbing mess on the exam table. Dally couldn't help his own tears from falling, thinking of Johnny having to go through this every single day, if not being beaten every day, then the fear of it happening. He wanted to get up and hold his friend, tell him it wouldn't be this way forever, that it would all be okay, but he couldn't. He was rooted to the spot in the chair, his heart hammering in his chest, anger and helplessness coursing through him. "Oh, Johnny." He managed. "I didn't know it was this bad. I'm sorry we didn't do something sooner."

Dr. Whitman, Charles, Chuck, gave Johnny a tissue and held his hand until he was finished. When eventually Johnny did look up, Dr. Whitman asked if they would be okay if he stepped out of the room for a moment. Johnny nodded, glancing at Dally, who had a horrified, tearful look on his face, and the two of them sat in the screaming silence while the doctor moved quietly from the room, and unbeknownst to them, picked up a phone to call child services.


	24. Chapter 24

The gang walked into a room with white walls and stainless steel appliances. They were met with silence and red rimmed eyes, the room thick with the remnants of what had just occurred. Pony wanted nothing more than to rush over to Johnny and wrap the frail boy in a comforting hug, but he couldn't move. Johnny had put his clothing back on, but was so exposed sitting on the examination table that Pony was afraid to make a move towards him. Darry, ever the fatherly one, spoke. "Hey, Johnnycake." Johnny, who had been staring at his feet the entire time, looked up at Darry, a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill. There seemed to be nothing left in him, the once happy, smiling- through- anything Johnny they knew and loved, had become a shell, broken and afraid, shivering out of fear or embarrassment, but completely blank at the same time. Darry stole a glance at Dallas, who sat biting his thumb to the point of bleeding, the horrors of what he'd just heard like a neon sign in his mind, refusing to shut off. He wouldn't, couldn't look at Johnny. And it make him feel guilty and angry and sad, and he couldn't have prepared himself for any of it. The tough outer exterior he showed everyone all the time felt shattered and drained and he couldn't summon the energy to keep it up at the moment. "Darry," He spoke, his voice raspy, "We need to talk."

As Darry and Dally went into the hallway, the rest of the boys filed into the room, having stopped in the doorway, afraid of spooking the ghost that sat before them. Pony wanted to know if it was okay to hug his best friend, to hold what was left of Johnny, and when Johnny gave him a slight nod, it was all the okay that he needed. He gently wrapped Johnny in his arms and told him that everything was going to be okay, and even though it was a lie, Johnny let him say it. The rest of the greasers, who were not greasers at all, but guys, kids, really, leaned on one another for support, not wanting to let the cracks open up any further than they already had.

Darry and Dallas both stood against the wall outside Johnny's room, neither one saying anything for awhile. Dallas stood facing Darry, his shoulder pressed into the wall as if it were holding him up, Darry boring his eyes into the door in front of him, thinking about what had gone on in there only moments ago. When Dally finally spoke, Darry turned his head in that direction. "The doctor called child services." Darry felt the color drain from his face. No. This couldn't be happening. What were they going to do? Surely they wouldn't allow his mother to keep him? Darry remembered what he had thought earlier about adopting Johnny, having him live with him and his brothers. But would that be an option? Darry hadn't had much time to think about it with all the things that had happened in the past few days. But now he had to think about it again, and fast. "Ok." He said, his mind trying to clear itself. "This doesn't have to be bad. He just needs to stay with a family right? I'll make a call and talk to the girl that helped us out when—" He nodded then, not wanting to say anything about the fact that his parents weren't around to help fix this.

"Darry, you should have heard what happened in there—" Dally's voice was hoarse, low. "The things that—man—did to Johnny. I almost left the room and I swear if it weren't Johnny in there I would have. I'm not sure we can help him."

"Maybe so. But we have to try." Darry said, pushing himself off the wall and going back into Johnny's room. Dally let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and followed suit, even though it took everything he had not to run down the hallways screaming to anyone who would listen what that horrible man had done to his son.

Later, the doctor returned to speak to all of them, the boys all huddled around Johnny, forming a sort of barricade around their friend, as if they could somehow protect him from whatever the doctor might say. "Boys." He looked at all of them before his gaze settled on the smallest one. "Johnny. It's become clear to me that some awful things have happened here, and that the person seemingly responsible for these things is no longer alive." There were murmurs and gestures here and there as the doctor spoke, all of them wanting to offer any type of comfort they could. "Johnny, as you know, I've contacted child protective services. I don't feel it's safe for you to return to your home." He paused a moment, letting this sink in, even though they all already knew this. "At the moment, they, along with the police are trying to contact the your mother. Do you have any idea where she could be?"

Johnny shook his head, an immediate reaction, then he remembered. "My Aunt's maybe. She lives in Bixby. She's my mom's sister."

The doctor nodded. "Do you have an address or phone number?" Johnny shook his head. "A name maybe?"

"Mary. Mary Ellis."

"Okay, Johnny. You guys can go back to the Curtis home right now. A representative from child services will be around to speak to you." He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Johnny. "If you need anything, give me a call. There is also the number of a very good psychologist on there. She can give you some help in ways that I can't. I know this all has been very traumatic. You have been through a lot and sometimes talking to someone can help with that." Johnny took the card from the Dr. Whitman's hand and looked down at his shoes. The doctor put a hand lightly on Johnny's arm. "You have a lot of people in your corner, Johnny. Some kids aren't as lucky."

Back at the Curtis' the boys fell onto beds and couches in various states of exhaustion. Not having slept much the night before, the fear of the doctor visit weighing heavily far away, they couldn't help put sink into sleep quickly. The thought of child services coming in the next day or two worried them, but had talked on the way home from the hospital and a plan had been made. Darry would call Kathleen Overland, the woman who had helped them stay together when their parents died, and see what she could do to help them. Johnny had lost too much in his life to lose all of them too. He'd survived his father, but Darry wasn't sure he'd make it in the system. As they all closed their eyes in what seemed like forever, hope started to fill in the cracks that threatened to break them so badly earlier in the day. Maybe through all the bad things, good would show up just in time.


	25. Chapter 25

By the time the boys woke up, ate, goofed off, and went back to bed again, they had begun to feel better about most things. Their Spirits weren't completely lifted, but they could relax to some degree, even enjoy themselves here and there.

The next day, they awakened to Darry cooking breakfast, chocolate cake included of course. Johnny had slept relatively well and though he'd have the scars for the rest of his life, his wounds were beginning to heal, the pain diminishing. After all he's been through, Johnny was probably the toughest of them all.

Once Darry made sure all the boys had gotten something to eat, he retreated to the living room with a stack of papers. He wanted to call the representative as soon as possible, before he headed off to work. Soda and Steve we're on the way out the door, and soda looked back at Darry after Steve had left the room. " Darry let me know something as soon as you find out?"

"Thou got it, Little Buddy." Darry told him, and Soda joined Steve in the truck. Darry was picking up the phone, when Pony enter the room, backpack slung over his shoulder. "See you later, Dare." He told his older brother." Call home when I get off school, okay?"

"Pony, I'll let you know as soon as I can. She has my number at work as well as home so she may not even get back to me until tonight or maybe even tomorrow. We'll just have to see okay?" Ponyboy sighed somewhat sadly as he and Two-Bit left the house, two bit dropping Pony off at school before going home himself. Dallas planned to stay with Johnny this time around, as two bit didn't feel comfortable after what happened the last time. After leaving a message, Darry grabbed his tool belt, checked on Johnny and Dally once more before leaving, Sally reassuring Darry that he had this.

Dally and Johnny spent most of the day watching television and playing cards. Dally wanted to keep both Johnny and himself as distracted as possible. Dally was both worried and angry at the situation. Johnny didn't deserve half of what he got, him more so than any of the other guys. Lives were rough where they lived, but Johnny was always on edge, always had a shadow looming over him. He figured there would be some sort of trial after Johnny offed his old man, and knew that may play a huge part in what happened with custody. He didn't even want to think about how it would affect Johnny and the rest of them if he were taken from them. Where would he go? Back to his evil bitch of a mother? His aunt? Surely they would let him stay where you was, right? All Dally could do was wait for that girl to call them back and hope that Darry could convince her Johnny was better off with them.

Later that evening, when Darry and soda came home from work and Pony from school, the Curtis's and Johnny sat at the kitchen table eating dinner Soda had made. Luckily they were used to his assortment of colors when it came to food, and the blue mashed potatoes didnt FaZe them. The rest of the meal, fortunately, wasn't so easy to add food coloring to and they were able to eat normal green beans and hamburgers. Darry Heard from theirsocial worker around lunch time and they plan to meet up the next night after Darry got off work. He had told soda and Pony as soon as he could, but still no one said anything to Johnny they didn't want to get his hopes up if worst came to worst.

After dinner, they all flopped down on the couches and watched the news. They felt they should keep updated on what was going on with Johnny's family since they would eventually be a trial and no one seemed to care to keep them informed. Not much more information it been added since the last time, but now they noted that the police suspected the murder to be associated with child abuse. Though, by some miracle, they hadn't mentioned Johnny's name directly. Darry was sure, though, that most people, at least around their parts, would know it was Johnny from the last name given. The reporter said "Police are trying to contact the mother of the possible child abuse victim, as she was not present in the home at the time of the murder. The child is said to be in the safety of family members and friends. We will update as more information becomes available-" Darry noticed Johnny watching the television with his eyes sort of glazed over. "Don't worry Johnny Cake, this will all work out. The police are going to figure out that this was all in self-defense. You know that can't get you in any trouble for this right?"

"I guess so." Johnny answered. Darry knew Johnny was thinking about his mother, about how in no time at all she would be back home, and he would be back with her. That he would have it worse than ever because she would no doubt blame him for what happened and he would be punished for it. Darry assured Johnny that this would not happen on account that she would be in jail for what she did to him, but Johnny couldn't shake the nerves that wouldn't leave him alone. He fought them until sleep finally took him into a restless dream filled night.

The next morning as the guys were getting ready for their jobs and school, Two-Bit burst through the front door, panting and waving the paper. "Have ...you ...seen ...this?" He managed through breaths. Darry walked over to the winded Greaser and took the paper from him. It was dated today and Darry's eyes widened as he read the article on the front page colon

MOTHER OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE VICTIM FOUND DEAD IF APPARENT SUICIDE

The article went on to explain that Johnny's mother was found dead at his aunt's house of an overdose of pills after hearing that the cops were looking for her. The aunt had no comment on the happenings at her house and was not a suspect in either death. Nothing was said about his aunt getting custody and it seemed like she wouldn't be interested in keeping Johnny for even a small amount of time.

"Johnny". Darry wasn't sure how Johnny would feel about his mother's death, right after the death of his father. He should be happy they were gone, but they were still as parents after all, and Johnny had only ever wanted to feel wanted and loved. Darry showed the paper to Johnny and sat with the boy on the couch as he read through it." What happens now?" Was all Johnny had to say

"Now Johnnycake we talked to the state"


	26. Chapter 26

Sitting on the couch, I could feel my body giving in to the long day, my eyes begin to close, until out of nowhere, I'm knocked to the floor, an arm tightening around my neck. "Damn it, Ponyboy." I breathed, struggling against his surprisingly strong grip. I fought with what little strength I had in me, which wasn't much considering the past couple of months, or I guess I could say my entire life.

After a few minutes he let go, both of us breathing hard, laughing at the ease with which we could end the day. Darry applied for guardianship a couple months ago and was awarded temporary custody until the hearing that would, hopefully, allow me to stay here for good. "10 minutes." I looked up to see Darry standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, his muscular frame taking up most of the space as a leaned on the wall, thick tree-like arms crossed over his chest. The grin on his face said it all, for all of us.

"Thanks Darry" I told him, happy to enjoy another one if Darry's incredible meals. I got up to wash my hands, a habit I'd started since I'd started living here, and one that got a few laughs in the beginning, making sure to shove Pony on my way out of the room.

While I was in the bathroom, I could hear Darry and Pony talking; the house wasn't exactly sound proof. "Pony, you've got to take it easy on him." I could hear Darry scolding Ponyboy. I was grateful for his protection, while at the same time hated bring treated like glass. I had yet to break.

"Aw, Darry, I went easy on him. We were just messing around." Pony countered. I knew Pony wouldn't hurt me, he was just as careful as Darry most of the time.

"Still, pone, he's been through a lot." Darry had finally stopped checking my wounds everyday and settled on checking the healing process weekly. It had been nearly three months and the shallow cuts were nearly completely healed, the deeper gashes had at least stopped bleeding. And they didn't hurt anymore, for the most part. It was nothing I couldn't deal with.

"Yeah, I know Dare." Ponyboy was looking at the floor as I walked back into the room. He clearly felt guilty about the wrestling. I wanted to tell him I was fine, but didn't want them to think I was listening in, it was only way I could see how it was all playing out in my absence. Pony and I had spent a lot of time together over the years, but not as much as we did now. We're living under the same roof, keeping each other company most of the day, especially at school. Darry had enrolled me the second the papers were signed. At first I wasn't so sure about it, but Pony loved school so I did my best to get along. After the initial struggle, it wasn't so awful. Pony was great at helping me with whatever I didn't understand, which was most of it, having not been in a long time. But it wasn't as bad as I had initially expected. It was great to see Ponyboy in his element. I even went to the his track practices, but try as he might, I was not going to join the team. I was done running.

"Pone,everything alright?" I asked, placing hand on his shoulder.

Pony gave me a slight smile. "Sure, Johnny."

"Let's eat". We walked into the kitchen, where Darry had made hamburgers and a salad, with chocolate cake for dessert, or in the case of most of the gang, dinner itself. As if summoned, the gang bounded through the door, snatching up plates and piling them high with food, before heading off to the living room. Darry sighed and chuckled, shaking his head at the timing. He always said they could sense food coming from another state.

After dinner we all huddled around the television, conversation kept light, me and Soda and Pony piled on the couch, while Darry took his usual spot in the chair. The rest of the gang was spread out on the floor, all of us mindlessly watching Mickey Mouse, laughing in all the right places. Nothing in my life has ever been this simple, this calm. I can't remember many nights when I wasn't looking over my shoulder. It was an odd feeling. There was a joint funeral for my parents, and other than the gang, and a few scattered family members I hadn't seen more than twice in my life, no one came. That day passed in a blur, most of it filled with the gang keeping an eye on me, none of them willing to leave my side, in case I happened to fall apart. It may have been a good thing, because at one point, I remember that I collapsed, bawling my eyes out. I remember Pony's arms around me, and how loud I sounded in my own head. I know it sounds incredibly strange to think I cried at my parents funeral but, I couldn't help it. It wasn't that I was sad that they were gone, I wasn't. I cried for what I never had, the parents that were taken from me when I was born into this fucked-up family. I cried because it was a tremendous relief knowing I'd never have to suffer that kind of pain ever again. It hit me hard, that relief. I think I also cried for my future, things I could have now. And as I sat next to my best friends, I felt my eyes welling up once again, because I knew then that I was wrong this whole time, I had a family the second these guys came into my life, and this time, no one was going to take it away.


End file.
